International teams will continue their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June.
The tournament will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico. They are each guaranteed a place by virtue of being hosts. Japan, New Zealand, Iran and Argentina have also qualified.
The qualification process will continue across each federation oner the next couple of weeks, and there are several exciting narratives that could become major talking points.
Carlo Ancelotti Will Make his Brazil Debut Against Ecuador
Carlo Ancelotti’s final season at Real Madrid was humiliating. Los Blancos crashed out of the Champions League in the quarter-final, which was a sackable offence.
However, it paled in comparison to losing to fierce rivals Barcelona four times during the season, including twice in the Supercopa de Espana and Copa del Rey finals.
Ancelotti’s curtain call at Madrid was one to forget, but that takes nothing away from his tactical genius, and he didn’t have to wait long to bag another job.
The Italian has won everything there is to win in club football. He now has a chance to rewrite history on the international scene and could do so with a talented Brazilian squad.
All eyes will be on Brazil during the international break as Ancelotti prepares for his debut against Ecuador in the World Cup qualifiers.
Ancelotti has already turned a few heads with his selection for the upcoming qualifiers. He omitted Neymar but recalled Casemiro and Richarlison.
His squad will head to the United States in 2026 after a 24-year drought since their last World Cup win, matching the period without any titles from 1970 to 1994.
Australia Poised for Crucial Qualifying Matches
Australia are set to face Japan and Saudi Arabia in two crucial World Cup qualifiers. Japan have already booked their place, while three points separate Australia and Saudi Arabia.
A win against Japan could be enough to send Tony Popovic’s side to the World Cup, but they will need the Saudis to come away from their game against Jordan empty-handed.
Rather than waiting to see what happens in the other fixture, Australia must focus on their own task, and many bettors will be backing them to get the job done against Japan.
However, their record against Japan leaves plenty to be desired, so it is unsurprising that the sportsbooks featured on australianbettingsites.net.au view them as underdogs for the crunch clash.
The comparison website is a superb resource for sports bettors, offering them impartial insights about the best places to wager on World Cup games.
Australia are winless in their last eight meetings with Japan across all competitions, which will give those who plan to bet on them something to think about.
You have to go back 16 years for the last time Australia defeated Japan in a competitive fixture. They could not be separated the last time they faced each other.
Tuchel Hoping to Maintain Perfect Start Against Andorra
Thomas Tuchel will more than likely continue his fairytale start to life as England manager, having already picked up two wins from his first two games.
England’s qualifying group hands them an easy path to the World Cup. They will hardly break sweat taking on Albania, Latvia, Andorra and Serbia.
The former Chelsea boss has overseen victories over Albania and Latvia and will be hoping to replicate that success in the upcoming qualifier against Andorra.
A third consecutive win will strengthen England’s grip at the summit of Group K and put them in a commanding position to qualify as group winners.
Tuchel has raised eyebrows with his latest quad after leaving out West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen in favour of Chelsea’s Noni Madueke. Midfielder Adam Wharton is another surprise omission.
Son set to Follow European Glory with World Cup Qualification
Tottenham Hotspur captain Heung-min Son is enjoying the best few weeks of his career, and helping South Korea qualify for the World Cup would be the icing on the cake.
The 32-year-old recently lifted his first major trophy with the club as Ange Postecoglou’s side beat Manchester United to clinch the Europa League title in Bilbao.
His crowning moment ensures that he will go down as a club legend in Spurs’ history books even if his form fell off a cliff in the latter stages of the season.
He could bag another milestone by leading South Korea to the World Cup in North America. They already have one foot in the showpiece, and could confirm their place after the latest qualifiers.
The Asian powerhouse kick-off June’s international break with a high-stakes clash against Iraq before rounding off their qualifying campaign at home to Middle Eastern minnows Kuwait.
Son has been a key player for South Korea throughout the qualifiers, firing them to the brink of qualification with seven goals. He’ll be eager to add to his tally in June.
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