World Cup Qualification UEFA news

Jurgen Klopp warns Germany against fixating on winning the 2026 World Cup, stressing that global competition is fiercer than ever and nations like France, Spain and England cannot be underestimated. He urges patience, pragmatic planning, and development of versatile players, including an Under 21 league to bridge youth-to-senior gaps, emphasising that consistent growth outweighs overreaction to setbacks or early exits.

Cristiano Ronaldo shared a bold new haircut as he showed off his shaved head as he returned to Al-Nassr training in Riyadh this week. The 40-year-old superstar looked every inch the warrior he is with his new look while going through the hard yards on the training pitch. Known for making regular tweaks to his hairstyle down the years, CR7 will hope this latest iteration helps him to deliver yet more success.

Graham Potter is reportedly on the verge of making a stunning return to management with the Swedish national team. The former Chelsea and West Ham boss has openly admitted his “feelings” for Sweden and is said to be the frontrunner to replace Jon Dahl Tomasson, who was sacked after a disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign left the Scandinavian side bottom of their group.

Declan Rice has opened up on England's World Cup ambitions, with the Arsenal midfielder taking on a "leadership" role under Thomas Tuchel. Fresh from sealing World Cup qualification in ruthless fashion, Rice insists that the squad's hunger and maturity have reached new heights. The Three Lions are dreaming big and are ready to do what it takes to bring back the global crown.

Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has been urged to make a bold call by dropping Manchester City’s £60 million ($81m) midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from his national team setup. The 26-year-old has been one of Pep Guardiola’s most trusted lieutenants since arriving from AC Milan in the summer, shining as a deep-lying creative force in City’s engine room. But despite his fine start to life in England, not everyone back home believes he should keep his place in the Oranje midfield.

Thomas Tuchel delivered a rousing team talk as England booked their place at the 2026 World Cup, saying he accomplished a “childhood dream” following the emphatic 5-0 victory over Latvia. The Three Lions will compete at next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States after powering through their qualifying group with two games to spare.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente gave a huge billing to Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino as the La Roja boss claimed that the Gunners star is as good as Rodri and Pedri. On Tuesday, Merino scored twice as Spain thrashed Bulgaria 4-0 in a World Cup qualifying game at home. The win also helped the reigning European champions maintain their 100 per cent record in the qualifying rounds.

England defender Dan Burn revealed a hilarious dressing room question from Newcastle United team-mate Anthony Gordon after the Three Lions sealed their berth in the 2026 World Cup. England maintained their 100 per cent record in the qualifiers as they thrashed Latvia 5-0 in Riga on Tuesday, courtesy of a brace from captain and star striker Harry Kane.

Harry Kane moved into an elite goalscoring club as he scored twice to help England qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The Bayern Munich striker bagged a first-half brace to help the Three Lions defeat Latvia 5-0 and book their place at next summer’s tournament, continuing a rich vein of form which has seen him score 21 goals in just 13 games for club and country this season.

Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo finally made good on a promise in the wake of his team's 2-2 draw with Hungary in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night. The Al-Nassr forward had long promised to swap his shirt with Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai, and the midfielder confirmed after the match that he had finally got his hands on the Portugal icon's jersey.

Harry Kane backed the England faithful after Thomas Tuchel's criticism and pointed chants during the 5-0 win over Latvia. The travelling army of fans made their voices heard loud and clear in Riga, and this time, their songs were aimed squarely at their own manager after Tuchel’s dig at “silent" supporters following England’s 3-0 friendly win over Wales.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed how captain Harry Kane delivered a rousing speech to his team-mates after Tuesday's emphatic 5-0 win over Latvia in World Cup qualifying. Kane scored twice in the win as the Three Lions booked their place at World Cup 2026 with two games to spare. Tuchel's side also have a perfect record in qualifying so far, winning all six games and are yet to concede a single goal.

Nick Woltemade returned to Newcastle on a £75 flight after scoring on international duty with Germany. The striker went from national hero to EasyJet passenger in a matter of hours after scoring the decisive goal for Germany in their 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Northern Ireland. Talk about a humbling journey home.

Thomas Tuchel has done the bare minimum expected of him when he was appointed as England manager one year ago: Qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel has done it with minimal fuss, too, as the Three Lions have won all six of their competitive games to top their qualifying group with two games to spare. It has not always been pretty, but that will count for little once the tournament gets going next summer.

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has sent out a strong message after scoring twice for his country in a 2-2 draw with Hungary in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night. His brace means that the 40-year-old superstar has now scored 41 times in World Cup qualifying history, moving past the record of 39 previously held by Guatemala striker Carlos Ruiz, but Portugal still have work to do to qualify.

Italy cruised to a 3-0 win over Israel in their World Cup qualifying clash on Tuesday, which sees the Azzurri stretch their winning streak to five games. Head coach Gennaro Gattuso was pleased with his side's performance and heaped praise on goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, while also hoping for "God's blessings" as they aim a World Cup play-off spot.

The Spain national team equalled their record of 29 unbeaten games in competitive matches following a dominant 4-0 victory over Bulgaria yesterday. Luis de la Fuente’s side matched the milestone previously set by Vicente del Bosque’s World Cup-winning Spain team, with Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino scoring twice to seal the win. Spain achieved the result despite the absence of key players such as Lamine Yamal and captain Alvaro Morata.