Croatia Secures Qualification, Poland Stalls Netherlands, Slovakia Keeps Pressure on Germany

As England and France secured their spots for the United States, several top European teams were in action on Friday night in the race for the 2026 World Cup. The Netherlands faced a crucial match in Poland, vying for the top spot. With key players like Depay, De Jong, Gakpo, and Van Dijk starting, alongside Emegha making his debut, the Oranje had a disappointing start, struggling against a revitalized Polish team in a lively Warsaw stadium.

The pressure from the home crowd paid off when Kaminski scored with a precise shot, set up by a brilliant one-two with Lewandowski (1-0, 43rd minute). The Dutch finally responded in the second half, with Depay equalizing (1-1, 57th minute). Despite a stronger performance afterwards, the Netherlands couldn’t secure a win. However, they remain three points ahead of Poland, which is guaranteed to finish at least second, and are in a strong position to top the group thanks to a favorable goal difference before facing Lithuania.

A Crucial Germany-Slovakia Match for Qualification, Dreams Dashed for the Faroe Islands

Meanwhile, Germany, tied with Slovakia before this matchday, needed a win against Luxembourg to maintain control in their group. The Mannschaft, without exceptional play, relied on a double from the unstoppable Woltemade (2-0, 49th and 69th minutes). Slovakia, held to a draw by Northern Ireland, finally broke through with a decisive corner from Bobcek (1-0, 90+3 minutes). The upcoming Germany-Slovakia clash on Monday will be decisive: both teams sit at 12 points, but a draw would secure qualification for Germany.

Ultimately, the first nation to officially qualify on the night was Croatia. After being caught off guard by the Faroe Islands with a deflected shot (1-0, 16th minute), the Vatreni quickly leveled through Gvardiol (1-1, 23rd minute). In the second half, a fine play by Musa (2-1, 57th minute) and a goal from Vlasic (3-1, 70th minute) sealed their qualification. The Faroe Islands, who briefly hoped for a historic upset at the start, concluded their campaign after playing all their matches, leaving the Czech Republic with the playoff spot. In the same group, Montenegro secured a third subsequent win against last-place Gibraltar (2-1).

Evening Results

Poland 1-1 Netherlands: Kaminski (43rd) / Depay (57th)

Gibraltar 1-2 Montenegro: Jessop (20th) / Krstovic (33rd), Adzic (42nd)

Croatia 3-1 Faroe Islands: Gvardiol (23rd), Musa (57th), Vlasic (70th) / Turi (16th)

Luxembourg 0-2 Germany: Woltemade (49th, 69th)

Slovakia 1-0 Northern Ireland: Bobcek (90+3 minutes)