Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Luke McLaughlin

Croatia beat Faroe Islands to qualify, Poland 1-1 Netherlands, and more: World Cup 2026 qualifying – as it happened

Tomas Bobcek scores late on for Slovakia to break Northern Irish hearts.
Tomas Bobcek scores late on for Slovakia to break Northern Irish hearts. Photograph: Branislav Racko/AFP/Getty Images

Who’s going to the World Cup? You can find out here:

All eyes will turn to Leipzig on Monday when Germany host Slovakia with top spot in Group A on the line.

As stated below, Northern Ireland cannot finish in the top two, but will get a playoff spot by virtue of their Nations League showing.

And Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands side are all but through as Group G winners, too.

That’s your lot, thanks a lot for reading and emailing in.

Updated

Tomas Bobcek’s stoppage-time goal ended Northern Ireland’s hopes of making it out of World Cup qualifying Group A but they came away from a 1-0 loss in Slovakia assured of a playoff place regardless.

Debutant Bobcek had been on the pitch for three minutes in when he fired in from Laszlo Benes’s corner in the first of eight added minutes, and the goal stood despite Northern Ireland appeals for a foul after Daniel Ballard had gone down in the build-up.

Slovakia had second-half strikes from Lukas Haraslin and David Strelec chalked off but this time it stood to spark wild celebrations as the home bench emptied. Northern Ireland, missing four of the players who started last month against Germany, battled for 90 minutes but Slovakia held the edge and will go to Leipzig on Monday with a chance to top the group if they can beat Germany.

Northern Ireland’s misery was completed by a second yellow card for Ballard in the dying moments, but Croatia’s 3-1 win over the Faroe Islands means they will be in the playoffs in March having won their Nations League group.

With Shea Charles, Ali McCann, Brodie Spencer and Ethan Galbraith missing through injury and suspension, Michael O’Neill brought in Brad Lyons, Ruairi McConville, George Saville and the returning Conor Bradley, while Dion Charles started up front.

Slovakia, boosted by the returns of Stanislav Lobotka and David Hancko, immediately tried to get at this weakened Northern Ireland side in a reverse of their 2-0 defeat in Belfast last month, but after a shaky start the visitors grew into the game.

Northern Ireland should have led 17 minutes in when Ballard beat three defenders to get his head to Justin Devenny’s free-kick, only to see his chance go a whisker wide.

Slovakia responded with their best chance of the half as Middlesbrough’s Strelec appeared to beat the offside trap to go one-on-one with Bailey Peacock-Farrell only to hit the post. The ball spun out to David Duris but he had no time to adjust as his header went over.

It was a tense, scrappy match, indicative of what was riding on it for both teams, and Northern Ireland were relying on set-pieces, but only half-chances fell to Charles, who was then replaced by Jamie Reid at the break.

Slovakia thought they had taken the lead eight minutes into the second half when Haraslin’s drilled low free-kick from a tight angle went all the way through, but Milan Skriniar was offside.

That raised the volume levels inside the Kosicka Futbalova Arena and they were even louder 10 minutes later when the hosts had another one ruled out. Again it was a free-kick wide on the left, fired in by Haraslin, but Strelec used a hand to turn it beyond Peacock-Farrell.

O’Neill tried changes of personnel and shape but Slovakia kept on coming and the resistance broke at the death as Peacock-Farrell was unable to deal with the corner and Bobcek had his moment of glory.

Ballard was then shown a harsh yellow for a push on Lobotka to earn his marching orders and, as the night unravelled for Northern Ireland, O’Neill was also booked by referee Istvan Kovacs after the final whistle. (PA Media)

Updated

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.