Spain still qualified for the World Cup
BVB reservist annoys European champions
November 18, 2025 – 11:55 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Drama on the last matchday of qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Five nations grab the direct ticket. For others it means detention.
European champions Spain missed the perfect World Cup qualification. In the end, the Iberians couldn’t get past a 2:2 (1:1) draw against Turkey. Dani Olmo (4th) had put Spain in the lead, but Deniz Gül (42nd) and Dortmund’s Salih Özcan (55th), who has only played 20 Bundesliga minutes this season, turned the game around and gave the favorites their first goals in this qualification. Mikel Oyarzabal (62nd) equalized the final score in Seville.
Despite the respectable success, the Turks are now heading to the play-offs. Only a win by seven goals would have turned the table on its head again.
Switzerland was also practically certain of winning the group before the end of the year, with the Swiss finishing 1-1 (0-0) in Kosovo, which can now dream of its first ever World Cup participation in the play-offs.
The Belgians finally made everything clear with a 7:0 (3:0) against bottom team Liechtenstein. Wales climbed to second place thanks to their impressive 7-1 win against North Macedonia. But the North Macedonians are also in the play-offs as Nations League winners.
A total of 16 teams are still hoping for one of the four remaining European World Cup tickets in March 2026. These will be played in four mini-tournaments with semi-finals and finals. Albania, Italy, Ireland, Czech Republic, Poland, Wales, Scotland, Austria, Kosovo, Ukraine, Turkey and Slovakia are runners-up in the group. Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland and North Macedonia qualified as Nations League group winners.
The draw for the play-offs will take place on Thursday in Zurich. The draw for the World Cup group phase for the XXL tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico (June 11 to July 19, 2026) will follow on December 5th in Las Vegas.