Dzeko (No 11) playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina
“The play-offs for the 2026 World Cup get underway on Thursday (March 26), with 22 teams still battling to qualify for the tournament in North America in June and July. Sixteen European sides are contesting the UEFA matches and six teams from around the world are taking part in the inter-confederation fixtures. The European nations have been split into four paths of four, with each section consisting of a semi-final and a final. Meanwhile, at the inter-confederation play-offs — which are being played in Mexico — the six sides have been divided into two paths of three, with the seeded team in each, DR Congo and Iraq, given a bye to the respective finals. Overall, four sides will advance from the European section and two from the inter-confederation one. All six finals will take place on March 31 (local time). So, here are the 22 national teams still dreaming of reaching the tournament and what you need to know about them ahead of what promises to be a mouth-watering feast of football. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
The 22 teams that can still qualify for the World Cup
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“… Sunday’s final was Rice’s 50th appearance and 44th start of the season for club and country. There is the capacity for another 18 — 15 with Arsenal and three with England — before the World Cup is even underway, with the likelihood Rice will have played more than 70 games by the time England’s summer adventures are over. The workload is heavy but not unique. Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk brought up his own half-century for the season in the Champions League rout of Galatasaray last week, a feat Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali had managed by March 7. Others in the Premier League, such as international regulars Martin Zubimendi, Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and Malick Thiaw, are all lining up to do the same in the coming weeks. …”
Scissors Kick 