Belgium and Germany Shine as Iceland Holds France in World Cup Qualifiers
In an exciting day of UEFA World Cup 2026 qualifying matches, Belgium and Germany both secured vital victories while Iceland managed to hold France to a draw, complicating the latter’s perfect run in the campaign.
Germany faced Northern Ireland in Belfast and came away with a hard-fought 1-0 victory. Nick Woltemade scored the decisive goal in the 31st minute, converting from a corner taken by David Raum. Although Germany had opportunities to extend their lead, including a near miss from Karim Adeyemi, Northern Ireland posed threats of their own, with Ethan Galbraith coming close and substitute Callum Marshall forcing a fine save from German goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. The win keeps Germany at the top of Group A, edging them closer to qualification.
In Trnava, Slovakia defeated Luxembourg 2-0, with goals from Adam Obert and Ivan Schranz. After a challenging first half, where Luxembourg threatened the Slovak defense, Slovakia found their rhythm post-halftime, with Obert breaking the deadlock and Schranz sealing the victory with a well-placed finish.
In Group B, Slovenia and Switzerland played to a goalless draw, with neither team able to find the back of the net despite some close calls. Slovenia’s Benjamin Sesko and Switzerland’s Manuel Akanji both came close to scoring, but solid defensive performances kept the match level.
Sweden’s hopes of qualification took a hit as they fell 1-0 at home to Kosovo. Fisnik Asllani scored the only goal in the 32nd minute after a fortunate deflection, leaving Sweden at the bottom of the group. Kosovo’s victory keeps them in contention for a playoff spot.
In a thrilling encounter in Reykjavik, Iceland held France to a 2-2 draw, ending the French team’s 100% record in the qualifiers. Victor Palsson opened the scoring for Iceland, but France responded with goals from Christopher Nkunku and Jean-Philippe Mateta. However, Iceland equalized through Kristian Hlynsson, ensuring they remain in the hunt for qualification.
Ukraine also had a successful outing, defeating Azerbaijan 2-1. Oleksii Hutsuliak and Ruslan Malinovskiy were the goalscorers for Ukraine, despite conceding an own goal from Vitaliy Mykolenko just before halftime. The victory helps Ukraine maintain their position in a competitive group.
In Group J, North Macedonia was held to a 1-1 draw by Kazakhstan. Dinmukhamed Karaman gave Kazakhstan a surprise lead, but Enis Bardhi’s stunning free-kick ensured North Macedonia salvaged a point. Meanwhile, Belgium came from behind to beat Wales 4-2 in Cardiff. Kevin De Bruyne’s two penalties and goals from Thomas Meunier and Leandro Trossard secured the win for the Red Devils, who now sit atop Group J.
