The FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualifiers to watch in October
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just months away as North America hosts the rest of the world next summer.
The United States headlines the hosts, but Canada and Mexico will also provide superb experiences for tourists and football fans around the world.
Neutrals who follow the game are expectant knowing that the newly expanded World Cup will feature more countries.
It is supposed to be even more entertaining than its previous format. Could a European team win it?
The last World Cup was won by Argentina, and it remains unclear if their hero of that competition, Lionel Messi, will play in the next one.
The attacker remains confident and continues to perform well as the team's main man at Inter Miami.
Messi has a longstanding battle for supremacy with Cristiano Ronaldo, and we are sure that the Portugal star will be in that competition.
Ronaldo has remained one of the key men for the Portugal national team after so many years of selling La Liga tickets at Real Madrid.
He will be the star attraction that will sell the FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets the most, but will Portugal qualify from Europe?
In October, they will have some matches, and we have previewed some of the best games to follow in the European qualifiers.
Sweden vs Switzerland
Despite possessing two of the best strikers in the Premier League, Sweden is at risk of missing out on a place at the next World Cup.
After two qualifying matches, they have just one point as the Swiss and Kosovo occupy the top two spots in their group.
However, during the next qualifying games, Sweden must win, and this game is a must-win for them.
Their fans will buy tickets for the fixture because they expect their team to deliver a superb performance in the match.
However, Switzerland knows how to have a successful qualifying campaign and has started strongly with two wins from two, so they will be ready for a proper fight in this match.
Sweden won the last meeting between these teams and has not lost any of the last four head-to-heads between them, so they will be confident about a victory.
Czech Republic vs Croatia
These two teams are on the same points in their group, and this is the game that could determine who goes top and seal automatic qualification to the next World Cup.
The Czechs and the Croats have some outstanding players on their teams, and games between them have been close.
Two of the last four competitive meetings have ended in draws, with Croatia winning the other two games between them.
Spain vs Georgia
Spain is one of the favourites to win the World Cup next year and is proving to be unstoppable in the qualifiers.
Although there are concerns about Lamine Yamal’s off-field life, the attacker is still their main man and is helping them.
Georgia is the latest side that will attempt to stop the team that is made up of stars who make watching football so much fun.
The Georgians are second in their group after two matches, and this game will determine if they can compete with Spain for the top spot.
Wales vs Belgium
Gareth Bale inspired Wales to qualify for the last World Cup, and they now have to do it with a new generation of players.
Craig Bellamy has done well as their manager so far, but he faces a really strong Belgian team, and he will have to show he can beat the best.
These teams have often met in the qualifying games for the World Cup, and Belgium has often had the upper hand in the matches.
The Red Devils have won the last two and are unbeaten in the last five matches between them.
Italy vs Israel
With Norway running away with the top spot in their qualifying group, Italy and Israel are fighting to take the playoff spot, so this is an important game.
The Italians have missed the last two World Cups, despite being the nation with one of the world’s top five leagues.
Israel wants to show there is more to its country than fighting a never-ending war in Gaza, and has also had a good time in the qualifiers.
This game is the fifth time these teams would meet since 2016, and Italy won the reverse fixture in Israel, so can the Israelis avenge that loss in this game?
Portugal vs Hungary
These are the two nations we expect to take the top two spots in this group, but Armenia is trying to steal one of the spots.
This is why it is very important for both nations that they win this game, and Hungary would be keen to make a statement in Portugal.
The in-form Cristiano Ronaldo is surrounded by some of the world’s best players in the Portugal national team, and the attacker will be leading them into this game.
However, Dominik Szoboszlai is also one of the best players in Europe now and his Hungary team will surely give Portugal a tough game in this fixture.
Turkiye vs Georgia
Spain dismantled Turkiye in the last qualification round after they beat them 6-0 in Turkiye, and this means Turkiye now has to probably win all their matches left to finish second in the standings.
With Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as their star man, Georgia will be eager to show they are the second-best team in the group.
However, Turkiye probably has better players and would want to play at the next World Cup, which will afford the likes of Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler a chance to excel and showcase their abilities on the international stage.
Scotland vs Greece
Scotland is eager to play at the next World Cup, and they have a generation of players who can make their country proud if they qualify for that tournament.
The current Scottish team has some fine players in the Premier League, Serie A and other top leagues in the world.
After two qualifying games, they are second in the table, but they have just one point more than the Greeks, so this game would be close.
Denmark is another top team in this group, so the home games in each head-to-head match in this group will be important.
The Scottish side knows the importance of that and will want to earn the points in front of their fans in this game.
Greece won the last time these teams met, but there have been two wins each for the countries in the last four international meetings between them.