European countries to the World Cup: Italy out 3 times in a row, Norway, BIH in

After an exhilarating night of eliminations and opportunities, the UEFA European Qualifiers for the World Cup 2026 are now officially over. 16 teams are in, and some new records were set. 

Among them, Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Belgium, England, and Croatia directly qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup by ranking number 1 in their groups, respectively. Switzerland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, England, and Croatia are invincible in their tournament without losing a single match. Notably, Norway, returning to the World Cup after 28 years, crushed the other teams in their group with a jaw-dropping 8-0 record and scored a historic 37 goals in these 8 matches. England is also worth noting in this campaign, as they are the only team that has not conceded a single goal and lost a single match throughout the qualifiers. 

Throughout the playoffs, the last 16 teams compete for the last 4 spots. Some historical matches could really leave an astounding impression on all the audiences: Bosnia and Herzegovina, with their unbelievable resilience and unity, extended their livelihood until the penalty shootout. With 4 missed penalties and a 10-man team, Gattuso and his Gli Azzurri failed to qualify for another World Cup in 12 years. As a reminder, the last time Italy was in the final 16 of the World Cup dates back to 2006, which is also their last time winning a World Cup championship. On the other hand, Bosnia, the gem located on the Balkan Peninsula, returned to the supreme Hall of Fame in football after 12 years. A fateful relay and connection between these two teams are revealed.

Gyökeres's final-stage goal locks Sweden in and also smashes Lewandowski's possibly last World Cup opportunity. Akturkoglu's winning goal defeats Kosovo, and the Czech Republic wins over Denmark in a penalty shootout 3-1.

A few hours later, when the final World Cup Qualifier match ends, the 48-team list for the World Cup 2026 will be officially rolled out. What is your expectation for this quadrennial world sporting event?