How will 48-team 2026 World Cup work? England are the lone team from Europe to secure their qualification, while plenty of other nations are pushing hard to join them soon. Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland,

England qualified for next summer's World Cup with two matches to spare in their group, and have not lost a World Cup qualifier since 2009.

Italy face a crucial match against Moldova on Matchday 9 of the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, and surprisingly, Gianluigi Donnarumma is not in the starting lineup.

The Irish Football Association says it is "fantastic news" that the qualifying draw for Euro 2028 will be held in Belfast.

The first round follows a familiar format, with 12 groups of four or five teams, and the section winners securing World Cup slots. The continent's four remaining berths will then be settled in a 16-team UEFA play-off competition involving the 12 group runners-up and four best-ranked UEFA Nations League section winners.

With only two matches left to play, Italy still hold hope of securing a direct spot at the 2026 World Cup, though their margin for error is razor-thin. The upcoming clashes against Moldova and Norway in the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers will determine whether the four-time world champions can avoid the dreaded playoff.

UEFA is contemplating major changes in the European qualifying process for World Cup and European Championship. They aim to address imbalances, where smaller teams face heavy losses, without adopting a Champions League-style format.

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats from Republic of Ireland vs Portugal in the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers