33 matches between Asia, Europe and Africa, many players from our championship protagonists. While waiting for the last commitments of the South American national teams, the international break gave us many goals and some surprising results today too.
In League A of the Nations League, Spain clearly beat Serbia and qualified for the quarter-finals: Morata missed a penalty but scored the second Iberian goal, the other Rossoneri Pavlovic was sent off in the second half. Entertainment in Warsaw: Poland goes ahead with Zielinski (who however gets injured), concedes three goals in 6 minutes but regains the equalizer in the second half. There was also a pyrotechnic draw between Switzerland and Denmark (back and forth between Freuler and Isaksen), while the match between Scotland and Portugal ended goalless.
In League C, easy successes for Northern Ireland and Kosovo over Bulgaria and Cyprus. The Northern Irish striker Price was the protagonist with a hat-trick but also Rrahmani, who scored his team’s first goal. Marin from Cagliari also scored in Lithuania.
Results and rankings
League A
Group 1
Poland – Croatia 3-3: 5′ Zielinski (P), 20′ Sosa, 24′ Sucic, 26′ Baturina, 45′ Zalewski (P), 68′ Szymanski (P)
Scotland – Portugal 0-0
CLASSIFICATION
Portugal 10
Croatia 7
Poland 4
Scotland 1
Group 4
Spain – Serbia 3-0: 5′ Laporte, 65′ Morata, 77′ Baena
Switzerland – Denmark 2-2: 26′ Freuler, 27′ Isaksen (D), 45’+1 pen. Amdouni, 69′ Eriksen
CLASSIFICATION
Spain 10 (qualified)
Denmark 7
Serbia 4
Switzerland 1
League C
Group 2
Kosovo – Cyprus 3-0: 30′ Rrahmani, 52′ Krasniqi, 71′ Sahiti
Lithuania – Romania 1-2: 7′ pen. Kucys (L), 18′ pen. R. Marin, 65′ Dragus
CLASSIFICATION
Romania 12
Kosovo 9
Cyprus 3
Lithuania 0
Group 3
Belarus – Luxembourg 1-1: 54′ Politevich, 78′ Rodrigues (L)
Northern Ireland – Bulgaria 5-0: 15′, 29′ and 81′ Price, 32′ aut. Mitov, 89′ Magennis
CLASSIFICATION
Northern Ireland 7
Belarus 6
Bulgaria 5
Luxembourg 2
Several qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations were also played: thanks to the successes achieved, Egypt, Angola, Morocco, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo obtained passes to the top continental competition.
Chad – Zambia 0-1
Lesotho – Gabon 0-2
Malawi – Senegal 0-1
South Sudan – Uganda 1-2
Sudan – Ghana 2-0
Tanzania – DR Congo 0-2
Botswana – Cape Verde 1-0
Congo – South Africa 1-1
Guinea-Bissau – Mali 0-0
Mauritania – Egypt 0-1
Niger – Angola 0-1
Rwanda – Benin 2-1
Sierra Leone – Ivory Coast 1-0
Central African Rep. – Morocco 0-4
Comoros – Tunisia 1-1
Ethiopia – Guinea 0-3
Libya – Nigeria postponed
RANKINGS
Group A
Tunisia 7
Comoros 6
Gambia 5
Madagascar 2
Group B
Morocco 12 (qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations)
Gabon 7
Central African Republic 3
Lesotho 1
Group C
Egypt 12 (qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations)
Botswana 6
Cape Verde 3
Mauritania 3
Group D
Nigeria 7
Benin 6
Rwanda 5
Libya 1
Group E
Algeria 12 (qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations)
Equatorial Guinea 7
Togo 2
Liberia 1
Group F
Angola 12 (qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations)
Sudan 7
Ghana 2
Nigeria 1
Group G
Ivory Coast 9
Zambia 7
Sierra Leone 4
Chad 2
Group H
DR Congo 12 (qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations)
Guinea 6
Tanzania 4
Ethiopia 1
Group I
Mozambique 8
Evils 8
Guinea-Bissau 4
Eswatini 1
J Group
Cameroon 10 (qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations)
Zimbabwe 8
Kenya 4
Namibia 0
K Group
Uganda 10
South Africa 8
Congo 4
South Sudan 0
L group
Burkina Faso 10 (Africa Cup of Nations qualified)
Senegal 10 (qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations)
Burundi 3
Malawi 0
Finally, in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, important victories for Iran and South Korea, while Japan and Saudi Arabia drew and missed the opportunity to escape in Group C.
Japan – Australia 1-1
South Korea – Iraq 3-2
China – Indonesia 2-1
Kyrgyzstan – North Korea 1-0
Uzbekistan – United Arab Emirates 1-0
Jordan – Oman 4-0
Iran – Qatar 4-1
Palestine – Kuwait 2-2
Saudi Arabia – Bahrain 0-0
RANKINGS
GROUP A
Iran 10
Uzbekistan 10
United Arab Emirates 4
Qatar 4
North Korea 3
Kyrgyzstan 2
GROUP B
South Korea 10
Iraq 7
Jordan 7
Oman 3
Kuwait 3
Palestine 2
GROUP C
Japan 10
Australia 5
Saudi Arabia 5
Bahrain 5
Indonesia 3
China 3
Here is the list of Serie A and Serie B players involved:
World Cup Qualifiers – Asia
Suzuki (Japan – Parma) 90′
Hrustic (Australia – Salernitana) 88′
Ryan (Australia – Rome) on the bench
Taremi (Iran – Inter) 90′
Shomurodov (Uzbekistan – Rome) 90′
Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
Mutandwa (Zambia – Cagliari) on the bench
A. Oyono (Gabon – Frosinone) 90′
J. Oyono (Gabon – Frosinone) came on in the 88th minute
Dia (Senegal – Lazio) 70′
Sulemana (Ghana – Atalanta) 69′
Pickel (DR Congo – Cremonese) 90′
Rocha Livramento (Cape Verde – Verona) 90′
Gaspar (Angola – Lecce) 90′
Modesto (Angola – Udinese) 45′
Luvumbo (Angola – Cagliari) 80′
Ndicka (Ivory Coast – Rome) on the bench
Kamara (Ivory Coast – Udinese) on the bench
Diakite (Mali – Palermo) 90′
Coulibaly (Mali – Lecce) 45′
Belahyane (Morocco – Verona) came on in the 81st minute
Rafia (Tunisia – Lecce) 90′
Haj Mohamed (Tunisia – Parma) on the bench
Nations League
Dawidowicz (Poland – Verona) 38′
Zielinski (Poland – Inter) 74′
Zalewski (Poland – Rome) 90′
Urbanski (Poland – Bologna) 90′
Bereszynski (Poland – Sampdoria) on the bench
Skorupski (Poland – Bologna) on the bench
Pasalic (Croatia – Atalanta) came on in the 69th minute
Erlic (Croatia – Bologna) 81′
Sosa (Croatia – Turin) 90′
Gilmour (Scotland – Napoli) 90′
McTominay (Scotland – Napoli) 90′
Adams (Scotland – Turin) 83′
Conceiçao (Portugal – Juventus) 61′
Leao (Portugal – Milan) entered in the 61st minute
Morata (Spain – Milan) 78′
Pavlovic (Serbia – Milan) sent off in the 76th minute
Samardzic (Serbia – Atalanta) 45′
Jovic (Serbia – Milan) entered in the 46th minute
Freuler (Switzerland – Bologna) 81′
Ndoye (Switzerland – Bologna) 89′
Aesbischer (Switzerland – Bologna) came on in the 81st minute
Dorgu (Denmark – Lecce) 86′
Isaksen (Denmark – Lazio) 56′
Vojvoda (Kosovo – Turin) 90′
Rrahmani (Kosovo – Napoli) 77′
Gineitis (Lithuania – Turin) 90′
M. Marin (Romania – Pisa) 90′
R. Marin (Romania – Cagliari) 73′
Man (Romania – Parma) 84′
Mihaila (Romania – Parma) 72′
Moldovan (Romania – Sassuolo) on the bench
Under-21 European Qualifiers
Muharemovic (Bosnia U21 – Sassuolo) 90′
Peda (Poland U21 – Palermo) 90′
Marchwinski (Poland U21 – Lecce) on the bench
Wlodarczyk (Poland U21 – Salernitana) on the bench
Shpendi (Albania U21 – Cesena) 58′
Keita (Belgium U21 – Parma) 45′
Mbangula (Belgium U21 – Juventus) 83′
Sava (Romania U21 – Udinese) 90′
Tchaouna (France U21 – Lazio) entered in the 78th minute
Iling Junior (England U21 – Bologna) 90′