We're in the thick of World Cup Qualifiers group stage right now; ten teams have already qualified for the field (including automatic qualifications for hosts Canada, United States and Mexico), while Jordan and Uzbekistan will both make their first-ever World Cup appearance next year.
Meanwhile, UEFA is currently holding its qualifiers, and while a lot of powerhouses haven't started their qualifying journeys yet, Belgium and Wales are underway in Group J, which is already shaping up to hold some intrigue.
UEFA World Cup Qualifying Group J standings
Country | Games Played | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
North Macedonia | 4 | 2-2-0 | 8 |
Wales | 3 | 2-2-0 | 7 |
Belgium | 1 | 1-1-0 | 4 |
Kazakhstan | 3 | 1-0-2 | 3 |
Liechtenstein | 3 | 0-0-3 | 0 |
LIVE UPDATES: Belgium holds off Wales 4-3 thanks to De Bruyne winner
88': GOAL: Kevin De Bruyne surely breaks the hearts of Wales with an 88th minute goal to give Belgium the lead again, 4-3.
69': GOAL: Brennan Johnson ties it up! Wales has scored three unanswered goals.
51': GOAL: Sorba Thomas scores for Wales, and it's suddenly 3-2.
HALFTIME: Belgium 3-1 Wales
45+7': GOAL: Wales pulls one back before the half, as Harry Wilson cuts the lead to 1-3
27': GOAL: Jérémy Doku makes it 3-0 Belgium, and the floodgates are open.
18': GOAL: Youri Tielemans makes it 2-0 for Belgium with a beautiful finish into the top corner.
15': GOAL. Belgium takes a 1-0 lead on a Romelu Lukaku penalty kick. Belgium is dominating possession and now leads early on.
North Macedonia defeats Kazakhstan 1-0 to retake top spot
North Macedonia wins 1-0 over Kazakhstan, and re-takes the top spot in Group J. It's been an impressive start for North Macedonia in group play as they look for their first World Cup berth ever.
In the early match on Monday, North Macedonia got a goal from Aleksandar Trajkovski in the 33rd minute and currently holds a lead over Kazakhstan in the final stages of the game (85').
How does UEFA World Cup qualifying work?
There are currently 12 groups of UEFA teams (six groups have four teams, and six have five.) Each group plays a double round-robin format, and the winner of each group will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The second-place team in each group will qualify for a playoff, along with the four teams with the best Nations League ranking that finished outside the top two in their group, will play in a 16-team playoff where four more teams will qualify for the World Cup.
Overall, UEFA will send 16 teams to the field of 48 at the World Cup.
Belgium only manages tie against North Macedonia on Friday
The No. 9-ranked Belgium side had a lead late against North Macedonia on Friday, but a stunning goal from North Macedonia caused the game to end in a 1-1. That was a pretty big blow for Belgium, who is the overwhelming favorite to win this group and earn an automatic bid to the 2026 World Cup. With Wales already securing two wins, Monday's match between the two sides holds a little more weight.