Germany takes the final hurdle to the 2026 World Cup without any trouble. The four-time world champions won the decisive top match of their group against Slovakia in Leipzig 6:0 without any discussion.
17.11.2025, 22:54
17.11.2025, 23:01
SDA
The criticism that the German national team had to put up with after their poor performance in Luxembourg three days ago had no negative impact. In Leipzig, national coach Julian Nagelsmann's team played with pressure and uncompromisingly from the very first minute. One half was enough to answer the question of the winner.
Nick Woltemade opened the scoring for Germany with his fourth goal in succession shortly after the end of the first quarter of an hour. Between the 29th and 41st minutes, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané twice increased the score to 4:0. For the ever-controversial Sané, these were his first goals for the national team in a year - each after passes from Florian Wirtz, who, like Sané at Galatasaray Istanbul, has not yet delivered the performances he hoped for at Liverpool this season. It was fitting for the perfect German evening that two Leipzig jokers, Ridle Baku and Assan Ouédraogo, made the 6:0 victory perfect. Debutant Ouédraogo only needed two minutes of action for his goal.
While Germany will be making their 21st appearance at the World Cup, Slovakia can still hope to make their second appearance after the 2010 tournament in South Africa. They will find out which two opponents they have to beat when the play-off draw is made on Thursday.
Poland must also hope to make the play-offs. Even before the last match, the team led by top scorer Robert Lewandowski no longer had a realistic chance of beating the Netherlands to win the group. The latter celebrated their participation in the World Cup in Amsterdam with a 4:0 win over Lithuania.
On the very last matchday of the World Cup qualifiers before the play-offs in March, five direct World Cup tickets will be awarded on Tuesday. Switzerland, Spain and Belgium are likely to secure them easily, while the direct duels between Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Vienna and Scotland and Denmark at Hampden Park in Glasgow promise to be exciting.
Telegrams and final tables.
Group A:
Germany - Slovakia 6:0 (4:0)
Leipzig. - Referee Letexier (FRA). - Goals: 18 Woltemade 1:0. 29 Gnabry 2:0. 36 Sané 3:0. 41 Sané 4:0. 67 Baku 5:0. 79 Ouedraogo 6:0.
Northern Ireland - Luxembourg 1:0 (1:0)
Belfast - SR Tohver (EST). - Goal: 44. Donley (penalty) 1:0. - Remarks: Luxembourg with Martins (Winterthur/until 87).
1. Germany 6/15 (16:3). 2. Slovakia 6/12 (6:8). 3. Northern Ireland 6/9 (7:6). 4. Luxembourg 6/0 (1:13).
Group G:
Malta - Poland 2:3 (1:1)
Ta'Qali. - Referee Pajac (CRO). - Goals: 32nd Lewandowski 0:1. 36th Cardona 1:1. 59th Wszolek 1:2. 68th Teuma (penalty) 2:2. 85th Zielinski 2:3. - Remarks: Malta with Chouaref (Sion).
Netherlands - Lithuania 4:0 (1:0)
Amsterdam. - Ref Gondinho (POR). - Goals: 16. Reijnders 1:0. 58. Gakpo (penalty) 2:0. 60. Simons 3:0. 62. Malen 4:0.
1. Netherlands 8/20 (27:4). 2. Poland 8/17 (14:7). 3. Finland 8/10 (8:14). 4. Malta 8/5 (4:19). 5. Lithuania 8/3 (6:15).
Group L:
Czech Republic - Gibraltar 6-0 (5-0)
Olomouc. - SR Stegemann (GER). - Goals: 5. Doudera 1:0. 18. Chory 2:0. 32. Coufal 3:0. 39. Karabec 4:0. 44. Soucek 5:0. 51. Hranac 6:0.
Montenegro - Croatia 2:3 (2:1)
Podgorica. - SR Meler (TUR). - Goals: 3. Osmajic 1:0. 17. Krstovic 2:0. 37. Perisic (penalty) 2:1. 73. Jakic 2:2. 87. Vlasic 2:3.
1. Croatia 8/22 (26:4). 2. Czech Republic 8/16 (18:8). 3. Faroe Islands 8/12 (11:9). 4. Montenegro 8/9 (8:17). 5. Gibraltar 8/0 (3:28).
The teams that have already qualified:
The confirmed participants in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada (34/48).
Europe (7/16 participants): Germany, England, France, Croatia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal.
Africa (9/9 or 10)*: Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia.
Asia (8/8 or 9)*: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan.
North America and the Caribbean (3/6 or 8)*: Canada, Mexico, USA.
Oceania (1/1 or 2)*: New Zealand.
South America (6/6 or 7)*: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay.
* 2 participants will be determined in intercontinental playoffs, 4 places in the European playoffs. Both will take place in March.
The play-off participants:
The participants in the European World Cup playoffs (10/16). As group runners-up in the World Cup qualifiers (7/12): Albania, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine. Via the Nations League (3/4): Northern Ireland, Romania, Sweden.
The draw for the four mini-tournaments will take place on Thursday in Zurich.
