Northern Ireland’s bid to progress automatically from World Cup qualifying Group A came to a frustrating end after a stoppage-time strike from Slovakia’s Tomas Bobcek sealed a 1-0 defeat in Kosice. Despite the loss, results elsewhere confirmed Northern Ireland’s place in the qualification playoffs via their Nations League ranking, offering a second chance at reaching the 2026 finals.
The decisive moment arrived deep into added time when debutant Bobcek scrambled home following a corner that Bailey Peacock-Farrell failed to clear cleanly. The Northern Ireland bench and players were incensed, arguing that Daniel Ballard had been fouled in the build-up. The defender had gone down under heavy pressure, but no whistle came, and the goal stood. Moments later, Ballard’s night worsened when he was shown a second yellow card.
Head coach Michael O’Neill expressed disappointment at both the goal and the performance but stressed that the decision had fundamentally changed the game. He also highlighted that Slovakia had already seen two goals ruled out earlier—one for offside and another for handball.
Slovakia now move into a decisive final fixture away to Germany. Only a win will allow them to leapfrog Germany at the top of Group A. Germany maintained their narrow lead with a 2-0 win in Luxembourg, thanks to a brace from Nick Woltemade. Despite enjoying the majority of possession, Germany looked vulnerable at times defensively but managed to secure a crucial victory. A draw on Monday would guarantee their place at the World Cup.
In Group L, Croatia sealed qualification with a 3-1 comeback victory over the Faroe Islands. The win moved Croatia to 19 points, out of reach for the second-placed Czech Republic. The Faroe Islands’ impressive campaign ends without a historic qualification, while Montenegro edged Gibraltar 2-1 in a fixture with no bearing on the standings.
Elsewhere, the Netherlands edged closer to confirming their World Cup spot after a 1-1 draw against Poland in Warsaw. Poland led at the break through Jakub Kaminski, but Memphis Depay equalised shortly after halftime, extending his national record to 55 goals. The Dutch now need only a draw against bottom-placed Lithuania in their final match. Poland, guaranteed second place following Finland’s loss to Malta, can only claim top spot with an unlikely combination of results and a significant goal swing.
As the final round approaches, several European giants are on the brink, while others face tense finales in pursuit of World Cup 2026 dreams.
