The battle for the remaining 18 spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is reaching a thrilling stage, with Europe and Africa delivering high-stakes drama as teams fight to secure their place at next year’s global spectacle.

In Europe, several groups remain tightly contested.

Scotland slipped into danger after a 3-2 defeat to Greece, leaving them one point behind Denmark in Group C.

Both sides now face a winner-takes-all clash on Tuesday, where Scotland must win to avoid missing out on automatic qualification.

Group J is equally tense, with Wales holding a slim chance of finishing top.

To achieve this, they must defeat North Macedonia and hope Belgium suffers a shock home defeat to Liechtenstein.

Belgium and Portugal, meanwhile, can guarantee their spots with victories in their next fixtures.

The Netherlands and Norway are all but through, with only improbable goal-difference swings capable of denying them a place.

Africa’s qualification picture is nearly complete.

Tunisia and Morocco were the early qualifiers and have since been joined by Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and South Africa, who will return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting in 2010.

Nigeria, with one African spot still at stake, will be relying on in-form striker Victor Osimhen as the Super Eagles face Congo in a crucial fixture.

Both sides aim to strengthen their positions and build momentum ahead of upcoming competitions.

Qualified Teams So Far

Hosts: Canada, Mexico, United States

Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

Europe: Croatia, England, France

Oceania: New Zealand

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

With decisive matches ahead, football fans worldwide are bracing for a dramatic finish to the qualification campaign as the final teams fight for their place on football’s biggest stage in 2026. (Sunday PUNCH)