Full List: Nigeria, Italy among 6 top football countries at risk of missing the 2026 World Cup

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup conscionable astir the corner, immoderate of the biggest countries successful planetary shot are facing unexpected qualification battles.

From Europe to Africa, erstwhile champions and powerhouse teams are struggling to unafraid their tickets to North America.

Here are immoderate of the apical footballing countries presently astatine hazard of missing retired connected the biggest tourney successful satellite football: the satellite cup.

Top countries that could miss 2026 World Cup

1. Italy

Italy, four-time satellite champions, are erstwhile again connected the brink of missing football’s biggest stage. Having already failed to suffice for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the Azzurri are nether immense pressure. A 3-0 decision to Norway and a sluggish first-half show against Estonia exposed their fragility. While they secured a triumph implicit Israel, they stay 2nd successful their group, tied connected points with Israel and six points down Norway with 1 crippled successful hand.

2. Germany

Germany’s qualification run has been thing but smooth. A 2-0 nonaccomplishment to Slovakia served arsenic a world check, and their constrictive location triumph implicit Northern Ireland failed to animate confidence. With the instrumentality fixture successful Belfast looming, the Germans indispensable enactment focused — qualification is inactive possible, but acold from guaranteed.

3. Belgium

Belgium’s “Golden Generation” whitethorn beryllium nearing the extremity of its cycle, and the cracks are opening to show. A gully distant to North Macedonia earlier successful the run has analyzable their path. Their upcoming travel to Wales is shaping up to beryllium decisive — immoderate slip-up could unit them into the playoffs and hazard their World Cup hopes.

4. Ivory Coast

The Elephants are sitting successful a precarious presumption with conscionable 2 games near to play. Gabon are close down them, acceptable to pounce connected immoderate mistakes. Ivory Coast indispensable instrumentality maximum points successful their remaining fixtures to debar dropping into a unsafe conflict for the second-best placed squad slot.

5. Cameroon

Cameroon are 4 points down Cape Verde successful their group, leaving them with small country for error. One much triumph for Cape Verde successful the adjacent circular of qualifiers could each but extremity Cameroon’s hopes of making it to the 2026 World Cup, a large stroke for 1 of Africa’s astir accordant qualifiers.

6. Nigeria

Nigeria’s qualification hopes are hanging by a thread. After managing to prime up conscionable 11 points from 8 games, they beryllium six points down South Africa, who lone request a azygous constituent to destruct Nigeria from contention. The Super Eagles present trust connected results elsewhere to enactment successful the race, making this 1 of their astir tense qualification campaigns successful caller history.

Vanguard News

The station Full List: Nigeria, Italy among 6 apical shot countries astatine hazard of missing the 2026 World Cup appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.