World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: A Night of Dominance and Drama
The European qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 wrapped up their spring-summer phase on Tuesday, delivering a mix of emphatic victories and unexpected controversy across six matches.
In Group G, the Netherlands made light work of Malta, delivering a commanding performance that ended in a rout. The spotlight shone brightly on Memphis Depay, whose brace not only sealed the win but also etched his name into Dutch football history. Depay has now equalled Robin van Persie as the all-time top scorer for the Dutch national team—a monumental milestone for the Atlético Madrid forward.
Meanwhile, in Finland, chaos and concern took center stage during a turbulent clash with Poland. The Polish camp was already in turmoil before kick-off, with head coach Michal Probierz reportedly clashing with star striker Robert Lewandowski. The result? Lewandowski did not feature, and the team paid the price on the pitch, falling to a determined Finnish side.
The match itself was marred by a medical emergency in the stands. In the second half, play was halted for over 40 minutes after a Finnish supporter collapsed. Team medics from both sides rushed to assist, prompting the referee to suspend play. Although an additional 11 minutes were eventually replayed, Poland failed to mount a comeback.
As it stands in Group G, Finland lead the table, followed by the Netherlands in second place. Poland trail in third, with plenty of questions left unanswered heading into the autumn fixtures.
FIFA World Cup 2026, Qualifiers
Day : 2025-06-10
"Finland" - "Poland" 2:1 (1:0)
Goals : Pohjanpalo, 31 (penalty) (1:0); Kallman, 64 (2:0); Kiwior, 69 (2:1)
Yellow Cards : Kairinen 35 - Bednarek 34; Zalewski 92
"Romania" - "Cyprus" 2:0 (2:0)
Goals : Tănase F., 43 (1:0); Man D., 45 (2:0)
Yellow Cards : Tănase F. 26 - Kastanos 24; Satsias 64
"San Marino" - "Austria" 0:4 (0:4)
Goals : Arnautovic, 3 (0:1); Gregoritsch, 11 (0:2); Arnautovic, 15 (0:3); Baumgartner, 27 (0:4)
Yellow Cards : Riccardi 74 - Ballo T. 59
"Latvia" - "Albania" 1:1 (1:1)
Goals : Černomordijs, 29 (own goal) (0:1); Černomordijs, 45 (1:1)
Yellow Cards : Ciganiks 50; Varslavans 69; Černomordijs 84 -
"Serbia" - "Andorra" 3:0 (2:0)
Goals : Mitrovic A., 12 (1:0); Mitrovic A., 24 (2:0); Mitrovic A., 53 (penalty) (3:0)
Yellow Cards : Racic U. 75 - Álvarez I. 44; Vales 44; Izquierdo Е. 85
"Netherlands" - "Malta" 8:0 (3:0)
Goals : Depay, 9 (penalty) (1:0); Depay, 16 (2:0); van Dijk, 20 (3:0); Simons Xavi, 61 (4:0); Malen, 74 (5:0); Lang N., 78 (6:0); Malen, 80 (7:0); van de Ven, 90 (8:0)
Yellow Cards : Lang N. 64 - Teuma 34; Guillaumier 56
