European giants secure their tickets to the 2026 tournament in emphatic fashion, with Germany thrashing Slovakia 6-0 and the Netherlands maintaining their perfect record.
Germany and the Netherlands have officially clinched their spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, each delivering dominant performances in their final qualifying matches on Monday.
The German national team sealed their qualification with a stunning 6-0 victory over Slovakia, completing a remarkable turnaround after suffering a surprising defeat to the same opponent earlier in their campaign. The emphatic win in Leipzig showcased Germany’s quality and resilience, ensuring the four-time World Cup champions will extend their record of appearing in 21 of 23 World Cup tournaments.
Simultaneously, the Netherlands secured their passage to the North American-hosted tournament with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Lithuania. The Dutch team finished their qualifying group unbeaten, finishing ahead of Poland to claim top spot in their section.
Both European football powerhouses now join previously qualified teams including England, France, Portugal, Croatia, and Norway from the European confederation. The qualification maintains both nations’ rich World Cup traditions, with Germany seeking to improve on recent early exits and the Netherlands aiming to finally capture that elusive first title after three previous final appearances.
Slovakia and Poland will have another opportunity to qualify through the upcoming playoffs, whose draw will be determined on Thursday.
The remaining European automatic qualification spots will be decided as group play concludes on Tuesday.
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