Ronaldo, Mbappe, and Yamal Poised to Lead Their Nations to FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification
Top European football teams are nearing qualification for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
As FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers near their conclusion in Europe, several global football superstars are on the brink of booking their tickets to North America. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Kylian Mbappe’s France, and Lamine Yamal’s Spain are among the national sides closing in on qualification, while Erling Haaland’s prolific form has propelled Norway to the verge of its first World Cup appearance in 28 years. The expanded 48-team tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Europe has been allocated 16 slots for the 2026 edition—up from 13 in Qatar 2022—with 11 group spots set to be confirmed next week. Spain remains unbeaten with four wins, 15 goals scored, and none conceded, as they prepare for away and home fixtures against Georgia and Turkey respectively. For 17-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal, the upcoming match in Tbilisi will be symbolic—it’s where his Spain career began in 2023, when he became the nation’s youngest-ever player and scored on debut.
France, the 2018 World Cup champions and runners-up in 2022, are one win away from qualification and could secure their place by defeating Ukraine on Thursday at the Parc des Princes. The fixture falls on the 10th anniversary of the tragic 2015 Paris terror attacks, and the French Football Federation has confirmed that commemorations will take place before kickoff. Even a draw in either of their two remaining games against Ukraine and Azerbaijan would guarantee France top-spot qualification.
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Portugal, meanwhile, need just two points from their two remaining fixtures — against Ireland and Armenia — to confirm their place. The qualification will mark Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking sixth World Cup appearance, surpassing the record held jointly with Germany’s Lothar Matthäus. Norway, led by a dominant Haaland with 12 goals so far, is poised to secure its first World Cup qualification since 1998, riding high after a 3-0 win over Italy earlier in the campaign.
Elsewhere, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Croatia appear well-positioned to return to the global stage, while Germany risks a late qualification showdown with Slovakia. The final four European spots will be decided through playoffs in March 2026, ensuring that even traditional giants like Italy, who were shockingly eliminated in the past two World Cups, must prove themselves once again. With qualification nearly settled, the stage is being set for the most expansive and competitive edition of the FIFA World Cup yet.
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