The concluding rounds of Nations League matches in the coming week will prominently highlight the 2026 World Cup in Europe.
Key fixtures include Italy facing France on Sunday, although France will again be missing their captain, Kylian Mbappé. However, the most significant matches appear to be Netherlands versus Hungary on Saturday and Serbia against Denmark on Monday.
This is crucial as the Nations League standings and results will influence the upcoming FIFA rankings, set to be released on November 28, which will determine the seedings for the 12 European qualifying groups for the next World Cup in North America. FIFA will conduct a notably intricate draw on December 13 in Zurich.
On a different note, France's match against Israel on Thursday has turned into a high-security event, with fewer than 20,000 tickets sold days prior to the game at the 80,000-seat Stade de France.
Recent street clashes in Amsterdam between local residents and Maccabi Tel Aviv's visiting ultra fans escalated into a diplomatic issue, prompting a security reassessment for all international matches involving Israeli teams.
Injuries and withdrawals
Mbappé has been omitted from the French squad for the second consecutive month. Norway's captain, Martin Odegaard, has returned to London for further treatment on the ankle injury sustained during a Nations League match in September.
Odegaard's Arsenal teammates, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, have also chosen to withdraw from England's matches in a lower-tier group.
Additionally, England's Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, and Trent Alexander-Arnold have pulled out ahead of their game against group leader Greece on Thursday and their home match against Ireland on Sunday.
Given the packed schedule, which includes two additional Champions League matches in January for many top players, the Nations League is not a primary focus.
Nations League Update
As the group stage concludes on Tuesday, the eight teams that will progress to the inaugural quarterfinals in March will be determined. This marks the latest development in the third-tier competition, which culminates in a Final Four mini-tournament in June to crown a champion.
The quarterfinalists will consist of the top two teams from each of the four groups in League A. Spain and Germany have already secured their spots following the two rounds held in October, while France and Croatia appear poised to join them.
In March, the third-placed teams from League A will compete against the runners-up from the four groups in League B in a two-legged promotion-relegation playoff. These teams will not commence their World Cup qualifying campaigns until at least June, with some starting as late as September.
World Cup Preparation
European football will be represented by 16 teams at the upcoming 48-team men’s World Cup, set to take place in 2026 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Next year, 54 of the 55 UEFA member nations will participate in qualifying groups, with Russia remaining excluded due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Only the 12 group winners will secure direct entry to the tournament, while the remaining four European spots will be determined through playoff brackets in March 2026.
Among the playoff contenders, four teams will have won their Nations League group this month but subsequently failed to finish in the top two of their World Cup qualifying group. Additionally, the 12 runners-up in the qualifying groups will also have a chance to compete in the playoffs.
Top-seeded teams
There are currently 12 European qualifying groups, an increase from the previous 10, with each group consisting of four or five teams, eliminating any groups with six. Achieving top-seeded status in the World Cup draw significantly enhances the likelihood of avoiding challenging opponents.
The 12 top-seeded teams will comprise the eight quarterfinalists from the Nations League, along with the four highest-ranked teams not in that group, as determined by FIFA rankings. This includes teams like England and Belgium.
Hungary and Serbia stand to benefit greatly from this situation. They have the opportunity to exceed their current FIFA rankings, which are 32nd and 33rd respectively, and could potentially move out of seeding pot 2 in the Zurich draw by finishing second in their Nations League groups.
Hungary will face the Netherlands before hosting Germany on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Serbia, competing in a group led by Spain, will travel to Switzerland on Friday before hosting Denmark.
Teams placed in seeding pot 3 may encounter a more challenging route to the World Cup.
Norway, featuring Erling Haaland, is securely positioned in pot 2 as the 24th highest-ranked team in Europe, although avoiding a loss against Slovenia on Thursday will be beneficial.