FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Top Storylines From Around the Globe
by Joseph King
UEFA: Harry Kane leads the Three Lions to a fast start
England sits atop Group K with a perfect two wins from the first two 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.
Thomas Tuchel’s side took care of business at Wembley, dispatching Albania 2-0 on Friday before cruising to a 3-0 win over Latvia on Monday. Kane found the net in both matches, raising his international goal tally to 71 in 105 appearances for his country and further increasing his lead as England’s all-time leading goalscorer.
England top of the group but still with room to improve under Tuchel.
Elsewhere in Group I, Norway blasted in nine goals to fire the Lions to the top of the standings after a 5-0 away win over Moldova and a 4-2 away win over Israel. Erling Haaland scored twice during this international break while Norway and Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard provided four assists. Norway is attempting to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
England will face off against Andorra away from home in their next fixture in June while Norway will host Italy in a potentially pivotal fixture. You can check out the key facts and statistics for both matchups with our England vs Andorra Livescore and Norway vs Italy Livescore!
CONMEBOL: Clinical Argentina clinch World Cup spot after Brazil win
Even without the services of Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez, Argentina were able to officially secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup after wins over Uruguay and Brazil.
El Monumental in Buenos Aires was the backdrop to one of the most anticipated matches of the international break as Argentina hosted Brazil on Tuesday.
A ruthless display in front of goal secures a dominant win for Argentina over Brazil.
A glittering first half performance by La Albiceleste saw them go into the break with a 3-1 lead thanks to goals from Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister. Giuliano Simeone, son of Atletico manager Diego Simeone, scored his first ever international goal in the second half to wrap up the 4-1 win for the defending world champions over their rivals.
Elsewhere, Paraguay extended their unbeaten run to eight matches (W4, D4) en route to claiming four points from their two qualifying matches. La Albirroja beat Chile 1-0 at home before coming back from a two-goal deficit to salvage a point in a 2-2 away draw with Colombia.
Argentina will face off against Chile and Colombia in June while Brazil will take on Ecuador and Paraguay. See the latest 2026 World Cup odds!
Here’s how things look in the CONMEBOL region with four matches remaining:
CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings
| Position | Team | Record (W-D-L) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Argentina (Q) | 10-1-3 | 31 |
| 2. | Ecuador | 7-5-2 | 23 |
| 3. | Uruguay | 5-6-3 | 21 |
| 4. | Brazil | 6-3-5 | 21 |
| 5. | Paraguay | 5-6-3 | 21 |
| 6. | Colombia | 5-5-4 | 20 |
| 7. | Venezuela | 3-6-5 | 15 |
| 8. | Bolivia | 4-2-8 | 14 |
| 9. | Peru | 2-4-8 | 10 |
| 10. | Chile | 2-4-8 | 10 |
AFC: Iran through; Australia and Saudi Arabia set for a dramatic conclusion
A 2-0 win over UAE and a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan was enough for Iran to punch its ticket to USA, Mexico and Canada, becoming the second AFC team to officially qualify for the 2026 World Cup behind Japan.
It’s looking like it’s going to be a dramatic finish in Group C with Saudi Arabia and Australia in direct competition for the second automatic qualification spot with only two games remaining. Australia claimed a 2-0 away win over China to put them on 13 points while Saudi Arabia claimed a potentially crucial away point against Japan in a 0-0 draw. Check out the Group C standings and the remaining fixtures for both teams below:
Group C standings
| Position | Team | Record (W-D-L) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Japan (Q) | 6-2-0 | 20 |
| 2. | Australia | 3-4-1 | 13 |
| 3. | Saudi Arabia | 2-4-2 | 10 |
| 4. | Indonesia | 2-3-3 | 9 |
| 5. | Bahrain | 1-3-4 | 6 |
| 6. | China | 2-0-6 | 6 |
Australia remaining matches
- Vs Japan - 5 June 2025
- At Saudi Arabia - 10 June 2025
Saudi Arabia remaining matches
- At Bahrain - 5 June 2025
- Vs Australia - 10 June 2025
Second place in Group C could very well come down to the final matchday when the two sides face off in Saudi Arabia. It’s a match you won’t want to miss! Be sure to visit our Saudi Arabia vs Australia Livescore to stay up to date with the action!
CAF: Nigeria in trouble; Algeria seize control of Group G
A top of the table showdown in Group G saw leaders Algeria produce a commanding display in a 5-1 home win over second-place Mozambique to go three points clear. The Fennec Foxes are now well-poised for a return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014 after disappointingly failing to qualify for the previous two editions.
No room for error in Nigeria's final four games.
A missed opportunity for Nigeria has them in serious danger of missing the World Cup for a second straight edition. The Super Eagles did well to secure a 2-0 away win over Rwanda but were undone in the 90th minute against Zimbabwe and forced to settle for a 1-1 draw. Victor Osimhen scored all three goals for Nigeria but his team sits fourth in Group C and six points behind leaders South Africa.
With first place in each group qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and the four best second-place teams advancing to a play-off, Nigeria will have to be near perfect in the run-in. Here’s who they have left on the fixture list:
Nigeria remaining matches
- Vs Rwanda (2nd) - 1 September 2025
- At South Africa (1st) - 8 September 2025
- At Lesotho (5th) - 6 October 2025
- Vs Benin (3rd) - 13 October 2025
