This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
HIBAPRESS-RABAT-FIFA
Before the draw for European qualifications for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA looks at the continent’s fittest selections.
The UEFA preliminary draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held on December 13 in Zurich. The group stage of the UEFA Nations League having now ended, in 2025, the selections of the Old Continent will devote most of their energy to validating their ticket for Canada, the United States and Mexico, countries hosts of the greatest World Cup of all time.
Among the teams that will attack the European qualifications next year, some will leave with a small head start if we rely on what they showed in 2024 and the dynamics that are currently theirs. FIFA is looking at the European selections which are currently on the rise and which are, in fact, already the favorites to reach North America in a year and a half.
The Mart effectinose is in full swing in Portugal
Almost two years after the appointment of Roberto Martínez, the Seleção has, it seems, fully found its rhythm. “During the second half against Poland (5-1), my team delivered its best football since my arrival,” declared the visibly impressed coach after this UEFA Nations League match. “This is exactly the kind of intensity and teamwork we need. »
The Portuguese’s tactical palette has become denser under the aegis of the former Belgium coach, who has successfully managed to integrate new faces and generate healthy competition between his internationals.
“At the moment we are having a lot of fun and we are scoring goals,” Bernardo Silva recently confided. “If we continue to play like this, it will be impossible to stop this team. »
The one we really can’t stop is the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo. By scoring a double against Poland, the striker who will celebrate his 40th birthday next February brought his total of goals scored with the Portuguese tunic to 135. While he has already played in a record five editions of the World Cup, nothing prevents the former Madrilenian from aiming for a sixth in 2026.
Germany is back in the saddle
When he looks at the progress made over the past year and realizes that the delicate period of autumn 2023 is now behind him, German coach Julian Nagelsmann can only smile. While results have long fallen short of expectations, his team reassured at UEFA EURO 2024 by reaching the quarter-finals before winning their Nations League group while remaining undefeated.
“We were in a pitiful state last November,” said the former Bayern Munich coach. “We have evolved. If we approach 2025 the same way as we approached 2024, then I think we will be better prepared for the World Cup in 2026 than we were this year before the EURO. »
If it remains to launch a new goalkeeper in the starting position next year, ahead, Germany does not seem to have much to worry about anymore, having scored an average of three goals per match during the Nations League. The duo Florian Wirtz – Jamal Musiala always seems more brilliant, outing after outing, while Tim Kleindienst (Borussia Mönchengladbach) appeared as an excellent alternative to Niclas Füllkrug.
Nagelsmann admits it himself: he has “never felt such an atmosphere of cohesion. »
European champion, Spain can aim big
At the time of writing, Spain is among the favorites for the title in 2026, if we are to believe the bookmakers, and this is not surprising. La Roja, after winning EURO 2024 with mastery, completed its Nations League group stage by achieving a solid 16 points out of 18 possible. The future therefore seems bright for Luis de la Fuente and his troops.
“We are extremely satisfied and we realize that we have reached a high level,” rejoices the coach. “We have always had a great team, but the difference is that we are now a winning machine. Things are going well at the moment, and given the excellent players we have in Spain, it’s fair to say we have a wonderful future ahead of us. »
It’s quite simple, in 2024, Spain has not suffered defeat in any of its 13 official matches. The teams who will have to cross paths with them during the European qualifications for the next World Cup will therefore have to redouble their efforts and sign a real feat if they want to thwart the daring and technical collective on which La Roja relies. There is no reason to think that the Iberian selection will not manage to maintain its good momentum in 2025.
France ended up getting back on its feet
The French team has reached such heights in recent years that we obviously expect a lot from it now. Winner of the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League, finalist of the 2022 World Cup, the French selection is not coming out of the year in which it showed itself to be the most conquering and the most impressive, but it has just to win their Nations League group ahead of Italy and Belgium, came out of a European semi-final (3-1 loss against Spain) and was even very close to finishing the year 2024 at the top of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
During the upcoming draw, Adrien Rabiot and his partners will certainly be part of the selections that the others will want to avoid at all costs, because even without currently possessing the Spanish strike force or the collective drive of Portugal, France comes from a year where it was very difficult to fault his defense.
If the absence of Kylian Mbappé, by mutual agreement with coach Didier Deschamps, during the last meetings of the year fueled the press, the latter may have eclipsed the advent of a new generation embodied notably by Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise and Manu Koné. “I know very well that we expect us to win every match 3-0,” summed up the coach on TF1 after a final 3-1 success in Italy. “We beat Belgium twice in a group (of the Nations League) where there is Italy, Belgium and us. We have a young team where young players need playing time.”
See you in 2025 then.
Elsewhere on the continent
Even if, compared to the four teams mentioned above, theEngland did not play in League A but in the lower category, it has also just won its Nations League group. The Three Lions only stumbled once in this first phase (a 2-1 loss at home to Greece) and won their other five matches by at least two goals. These results allowed the English to return to League A for the next edition, and it will now be interesting to see how the new coach, Thomas Tuchel, manages to ride this dynamic.
There Greece was one of the surprises of the last months of competition, since in addition to defeating England at home, they finished the group stage with the same number of points. Attackers Fotis Ioannidis and Vangelis Pavlidis seem ready to take a step up to a selection which could once again have a say in qualifying, after missing the 2018 and 2022 editions of the World Cup.
Finally, theScotlandafter playing in EURO 2024 (elimination in the group stage), remained undefeated in its last three matches. In this time, they held Portugal at bay (0-0) before offering themselves a 1-0 success over Croatia. While the Wales saw Craig Bellamy’s first steps as manager crowned with success (three wins and three draws in six games), the Norway and the Suede also impressed under the leadership of their star attackers, Erling Haaland and Viktor Gyökeres.
Finally, theScotlandafter playing in EURO 2024 (elimination in the group stage), remained undefeated in its last three meetings. In this time, they held Portugal at bay (0-0) before offering themselves a 1-0 success over Croatia. While the Wales saw Craig Bellamy’s first steps as coach crowned with success (three wins and three draws in six matches), Norway and the Suede also impressed under the leadership of their star attackers, Erling Haaland and Viktor Gyökeres.
