France secured their place at the 2026 World Cup with a confident 4-0 win over Ukraine on Thursday, a match played as the nation marked the tenth anniversary of the 2015 Paris attacks. The atmosphere inside the Parc des Princes carried a deep emotional weight as fans observed a minute of silence in honour of the 130 people who lost their lives during the tragic events across the city. One of the victims died near the Stade de France, where multiple explosions hit during a friendly match between France and Germany. Didier Deschamps, who coached the team then and remains at the helm now, will guide Les Bleus into his final World Cup before stepping down.
“Given the context tonight, we are pleased to have put some smiles on faces by securing qualification,” said Deschamps. “We have fulfilled our objective. I understand that it is seen as normal that France qualify but we still had to go out and do it, so we are very proud.”
France’s second-half surge sealed the win with goals from Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise, along with a first international goal from Hugo Ekitike. The result gives France a six-point lead over both Iceland, who defeated Azerbaijan 2-0, and Ukraine at the top of Group D. With their ticket to North America confirmed, France can now look toward the finals draw scheduled for December 5 in Washington, DC. Iceland and Ukraine will meet on Sunday to fight for a spot in the play-offs next March.
Why are Portugal and Norway still waiting to qualify?
Portugal were one win away from securing top spot in Group F but fell 2-0 to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. Troy Parrott struck twice for the hosts, scoring in the 17th minute and again just before halftime. The setback deepened when Cristiano Ronaldo received a red card for violent conduct after swinging an elbow into Dara O’Shea’s back. A VAR review confirmed the dismissal. The loss keeps Portugal on 10 points, three behind Ireland and two ahead of Hungary, who edged Armenia 1-0. Portugal will face Armenia in Porto on Sunday, while Hungary welcome Ireland in a decisive matchup for second place.
Ronaldo, the all-time leading goal scorer in men’s international football, could miss the opening matches of the World Cup depending on the length of his suspension. “We didn’t manage (to win), we’re sad and disappointed with what we did here today,” Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva said.
Norway also face a wait despite a dominant 4-1 victory over Estonia in Oslo. Alexander Sorloth and Erling Haaland each scored twice in a 12-minute second-half burst. However, their qualification hinged on Italy’s result against Moldova. Italy appeared to falter until Gianluca Mancini struck in the 88th minute, followed by an injury-time goal from Pio Esposito that kept their automatic qualification hopes alive. Those late goals mean Norway must now face Italy at the San Siro in a high-stakes showdown. Norway hold a strong head-to-head advantage after beating Italy 3-0 in June. Reflecting on Italy’s tense win, Sandro Tonali said: “It wasn’t easy… We also knew that Norway had won, so the atmosphere was a bit strange. It would mean a lot to us (to beat Norway), because it might not heal the wound, but it will help us push forward.”
England, already assured of their place at the 2026 tournament, beat Serbia 2-0 at Wembley with goals from Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze. In the same group, Albania wrapped up second place after a 1-0 win over Andorra.
With several teams securing their spots and others set for dramatic final matchdays, the race to the 2026 World Cup continues to deliver intensity across Europe.
By Yockshard Enyendi