2026 World Cup Qualifiers: England Struggle for Style, Austria Impress, Netherlands on the Rise
The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially kicked off across Europe — and matchday drama is already shaping the group tables.
Austria Open With Purpose in Group H
Austria made a confident start in Group H, claiming a solid victory over Romania to move into second place. They now trail group leaders Bosnia and Herzegovina, who maintained their perfect start with a win over San Marino — their third consecutive victory in the group.
England Face Backlash After Narrow Win Over Andorra
Despite securing three points, England’s narrow 1-0 victory over Andorra in Group K drew harsh criticism from fans, pundits, and even head coach Thomas Tuchel. A lone goal from Harry Kane was enough to secure the win, but questions linger about the Three Lions’ creativity and attacking intent.
Elsewhere in the group, Albania and Serbia played out a goalless draw. Despite the modest performance, England still lead the group with a commanding position.
Netherlands Make Winning Start in Group G
The Netherlands kicked off their qualifying campaign with a crucial win over Finland, denying the Finns a chance to leapfrog Poland in the standings. The Oranje currently sit third in Group G, but have a clear opportunity to climb when they face Malta on June 10.
In the group’s other fixture, Malta and Lithuania played out a goalless draw, leaving plenty of room for movement in what looks to be a tightly contested group.
FIFA World Cup 2026, Qualifiers
Day : 2025-06-07
"Bosnia" - "San Marino" 1:0 (0:0)
Goals : Dzeko, 67 (1:0)
Yellow Cards : Dedic A. 74; Muharemovic 74 - Colombo 60; Fabbri 74
"Malta" - "Lithuania" 0:0
Yellow Cards : Mbong P. 24; Camenzuli 89; Guillaumier 90 - Kažukolovas 17; Tutyskinas 90
"Andorra" - "England" 0:1 (0:0)
Goals : Kane, 50 (0:1)
"Austria" - "Romania" 2:1 (1:0)
Goals : Gregoritsch, 42 (1:0); Sabitzer, 60 (2:0); Tănase F., 95 (2:1)
Yellow Cards : Grillitsch 89 - Stanciu 44
"Albania" - "Serbia" 0:0
Yellow Cards : Djimsiti 19 - Pavlović S. 18; Mitrović St. 80
"Finland" - "Netherlands" 0:2 (0:2)
Goals : Depay, 6 (0:1); Dumfries, 23 (0:2)
Yellow Cards : Niskanen 90 - van Hecke 28; Reijnders 61
