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Section A

Might the unthinkable occur? Die Mannschaft have never missed out for the global tournament but the multiple winners must avoid mistakes if they are to seal first place after falling against the Slovak team in their opening game. Julian Nagelsmann’s side lead Slovakia on net goals and need to beat the Luxembourg team on the weekend and see whether Northern Ireland – guaranteed a playoff after ending top of their Nations League group – can provide assistance in Slovakia on the concurrent evening. Germany conclude against Slovakia in Leipzig on Monday in what could be a winner-takes-all showdown. Teams ending runner-up enter the qualification rounds.

Group B

Switzerland will secure a spot on Saturday if they obtain a better result at home to Sweden than Kosovo secure in the Slovenian venue. Switzerland’s vastly superior goal ratio ensures they will be virtually assured of a tournament spot if they match Kosovo’s result. But if Kosovo reduce the three-point deficit to the front-runners, things will be thrillingly balanced for their final game at home to Switzerland in Pristina on Tuesday. Sweden, playing under their new manager for the initial occasion, are expected to reach the qualifying stage by virtue of having topped their international league group.

Group C

With Greece and Belarus eliminated, it is a straight fight between Denmark and Scotland for direct entry. Steve Clarke’s side head into the last pair of games behind on net goals so will in all likelihood need a minimum of a draw in Athens on Saturday to have a opportunity of taking top spot when they face Denmark at Hampden Park on 18 November.

Group D

Les Bleus have a playoff secured courtesy of the Nations League and will advance in top spot if they beat Ukraine in Paris on Thursday. Even a draw would leave France well positioned going into their last match in the Azerbaijani venue given they lead Ukraine by three points and have a goal difference better by five. An Iceland win in Baku on Thursday coupled with a France victory over Ukraine would elevate Iceland second on goal difference before they face Ukraine on Sunday in Warsaw. Azerbaijan’s minimal hopes of sneaking into a playoff require wins over Iceland and France and boosting their poor net goals.

Group E

Spain, after securing victory in their first four matches, are on the verge of securing a spot. If they get a better result in the Georgian venue on Saturday than Turkey secure at home to the Bulgarian side they will ensure top spot, and equaling Turkey’s result would all but seal the deal since their net goals is better than Turkey’s by a dozen. Turkey require a draw – or a setback by Georgia – to guarantee a qualification round. They conclude on Tuesday in Seville against Spain, who defeated them by a large margin in September.

Group F

An stoppage-time equaliser by the Hungarian team’s their captain in Lisbon last month has made Portugal wait a little longer to secure their place. A pair of points from games in the the Irish team on Thursday and at home to the Armenian side on Sunday would guarantee top spot. Hungary, who are in second, one point ahead of Ireland, would secure a playoff on Thursday if they triumph in Armenia and Ireland lose to Portugal. Alternatively the playoff spot may depend on Hungary’s game against Ireland in Budapest on Sunday.

Group G

the Polish team’s aspirations of overhauling the Netherlands, who are ahead of them by three points with a much better goal difference, rest on defeating the Dutch squad in Warsaw on Friday and hoping eliminated Lithuania can do them a favour in Amsterdam on Monday. The Netherlands tied at home to Poland in September but have in other matches secured most games easily. the Finnish side, who face Malta in their last match on Friday, have an outside chance of making the qualification stage if Poland are defeated to the Netherlands and Malta.

Group H

Three teams are in the running to finish first, although Austria know a victory over the Cypriot side on Saturday combined with second-placed the Bosnian team suffering defeat or tying at home to third-position the Romanian side would secure qualification. Bosnia, a couple of points behind Austria with a goal difference inferior by several, journey to Vienna on Tuesday. Romania, who require a pair of victories to have a chance of first place, host San Marino that day. There is the fascinating possibility that San Marino, Fifa’s lowest-ranked nation, could book a qualification place after topping their international league group, if Romania end as runners-up – a situation that could depend on how many goals they score in their last game.

Section I

Norway lead Italy by several points and no one else can finish in the top two. A win for Norway at home to Estonia on Thursday would in effect guarantee their place before they travel to San Siro on Sunday because the remarkable twenty-nine strikes plundered by their star striker and co from half a dozen games have provided the team a truly ridiculous net goals of +26, 16 ahead of Italy. The Italian squad need full points from their games, which begin in Moldova on Thursday, and a Norway slip against Estonia to avoid the qualifying round for which they appear destined as they try to secure a spot for a first World Cup since 2014.

Section J

the Belgian team need one win from a pair of matches to be sure of automatic qualification and face a possibly difficult match in Kazakhstan on Saturday. If they do not manage it there, Rudi Garcia’s side should secure top spot against the Liechtenstein team on Tuesday. the Welsh side and the Macedonian team have mathematical hope of overtaking Belgium but are in practice competing for the runner-up spot. The Welsh national team are guaranteed of a qualification round due to the Nations League but must finish as runners-up to avoid being among the bottom seeds and having an away semi-final. Winning in Liechtenstein on Saturday and at home to North Macedonia on Tuesday would guarantee second for Wales. If Wales beat Liechtenstein by a large margin a tie with North Macedonia, whose only remaining game is in Cardiff, would suffice.

Group K

the English team last month became the initial UEFA team to secure their spot for the World Cup and Thomas Tuchel’s side will have a big say in the battle for the runner-up spot. Serbia are behind the Albanian side by a point and most likely need a positive result at Wembley on Thursday because defeat combined with an Albania win in Andorra would end their playoff hopes. The Albanian national team, who have not once qualified for the World Cup but have made the Euros finals on two occasions, in 2016 and 2024, meet England in Tirana in their final match as Serbia entertain Latvia.

Group L

Croatia, last four participants at the past two World Cups, require a draw at home to the the Faroese side on Friday or in Montenegro on Monday to secure their spot in the finals again. They can be overhauled only by the the Czech team, who are three points behind with one game left, at home to the Gibraltarian team on Monday, but a goal difference inferior by fifteen. The Faroe Islands, surprise winners against the Czech Republic last month, will finish second in the improbable scenario that they achieve a better result against Croatia than the Czech Republic secure against Gibraltar.

Playoffs

At the draw on 20 November the dozen second-place teams will be accompanied by the top four Nations League