Sports
Harry Kane is tearing up the Bundesliga at Bayern Munich. What’s next for England’s No. 9?
The 2020 documentary “All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur” provided a revealing glimpse into Harry Kane‘s psyche. In a one-on-one chat with then-manager Jose Mourinho, Kane said: “When you’re at a club like Tottenham, we’ve done well and I’ve done well, but I want to be [Cristiano Ronaldo] or [Lionel Messi].”
Some might have scoffed at the English striker’s ambition as shown on screen, but despite the constant change after Mauricio Pochettino’s departure as Spurs manager in 2019, Kane’s brilliant numbers never waned. His blistering start to the 2025-26 campaign with Bayern Munich (18 goals in 10 matches), is on par with Messi and Ronaldo.
Take a deeper look at his overall game, however, and his gaudy scoring stats are just scratching the surface. He has never been more influential in the buildup phase of play. The goals remain a constant, but he now plays a role at the start, middle and end of Bayern’s attacks. Kane is evolving, and that evolution is contributing to perhaps his best season yet.
With Saturday’s Der Klassiker vs. Borussia Dortmund on the horizon (12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+), let’s examine how his role has changed from his days at Spurs, what it could mean for England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and his future at the club level.
Filling a Musiala-shaped hole
When star midfielder Jamal Musiala picked up an injury during the Club World Cup, it left a creative void. Kane has taken up the mantle.
“When Jamal’s playing, it’s a bit different. Getting the ball off defenders, driving, when we were playing together, it was better for him to go and do that,” Kane explained after Bayern’s win over Eintracht Frankfurt. “This season, it’s allowed me to play a little bit deeper, use my qualities in that sense of turning and playing it forward, then arriving later in the box.”
The goal he scored in that game saw Kane occupy Frankfurt’s defensive line before peeling back close to Joshua Kimmich just ahead of the center circle. When the ball was played up to Serge Gnabry near the edge of the penalty area, the striker moved forward from the middle of the pitch, slotting into a gap created by him initially dropping for a trademark finish from outside the box.
But Kane’s game is about more than just arriving late to score goals. He’s now a crucial cog in Bayern’s buildup, often seen deep in his own half to receive the ball from his own defense.
In the ninth minute of the same game, Kane received the ball near the sideline in the left-back position, wriggled past two challengers and found Gnabry in space.
The surprising thing is how much of a regularity such Luka Modric-esque moves are becoming. Players get sucked into following Kane so far into Bayern’s half that he can find another attacker in space as he holds the ball up.
He initiates the moves, and he completes them. Both his inevitable goal scoring and his playmaking ability are thriving as a result.
How Kane’s game has evolved
Kane was always more than a goal poacher: it just took some time to discover his alternative capabilities.
At the beginning of his career and in his first two seasons in Germany, Kane’s game centered on creating chances or scoring them, but mainly scoring. He amassed many shots and touches in the box under Pochettino, and shades of his ball-carrying and ability to bring others into the game appeared near the end of his Tottenham Hotspur spell.
Kane’s heat map from his last two seasons at Tottenham, depicting where he was most active, helps show how his game has changed. More color appears in his own half, near the center circle, or in half-spaces (the channels between center backs and fullbacks) away from goal.
In his first two seasons at Bayern Munich, his actions took place almost entirely in the opponent’s half, as he leaned more into his talents as a finisher.
Looking at Kane’s heat map for the 2025-26 season, spots emerge all over the pitch, with highlighted areas deep in his own half.
Statistics show that this season, Kane is back to combining the best of his abilities as an attacker and a creator. His progressive passes are as high as they were in 2021-22 and 2023-24, while he has never had more touches in his own box than this season.
It’s clearly working. “Arriving late,” as Kane puts it, has seen his expected assists and shot-creating actions rise. He has provided a solution to Bayern’s shortage of creativity in midfield, as Kimmich and Leon Goretzka aren’t the most inventive midfielders. (All stats below are per 90 minutes.)
His link-up play, hold-up ability and chance-creating talents were underrated during his time in north London, but in Bavaria, that part of his game has been elevated. It is now being used in spaces where you’d typically see Kimmich, and it’s the absolute best of both worlds.
Looking ahead to the World Cup
Kane, England and coach Thomas Tuchel will be determined to get their hands on an elusive trophy this summer, and they shouldn’t be afraid to use the “new” Harry Kane to do so. Ominously for the rest of the competition, England might have started doing this already.
Against Serbia, while he spent most of the game occupying their back five, Kane would often peel off and look for the ball deeper.
In the early stages of the World Cup, Tuchel could opt for Kane in this role to break teams down. With Kane dragging a center back of out of position, faster players such as Anthony Gordon or Bukayo Saka can be played in behind. In the latter stages (should England reach them), England might have less of the ball and use him more like a target man, as they did in the first minute of the Serbia game when a long ball was sent into the box for Kane to nod down.
Kane’s versatility could unlock defenses that sit deep and elevate other attackers. However, he still needs to be the striker who gets into the box, as there isn’t another striker in the national side with his finishing ability. Lucky for England, he can do both. The conundrum for Tuchel will be balancing both roles.
What’s next at club level?
With Kane’s Bayern Munich contract set to expire in 2027, both club and player are thinking about what happens next. Bayern’s sporting director has hinted at an extension, and the longer a new contract isn’t signed, the more rumors and conjecture will swirl.
We’ve taken the liberty of looking ahead for Kane, and his next step could be to settle unfinished business in England. Kane has played down a return home, but the motive would be clear: to break Alan Shearer’s goal-scoring record (260; Kane has 213) and attempt to win a Premier League title.
– Darke: Tuchel’s tough love on Bellingham could help England and the player at World Cup
– Ogden: Premier League big issues: Will Amorim, Ange last? Is Salah fading?
– Connelly: The best teams in Europe right now: Bayern, Kane setting the tone
Manchester City have Erling Haaland, and unless a team comes along to sign him out of his massive contract, he won’t be displaced. But what if manager Pep Guardiola combined Haaland and Kane?
Guardiola likes to play with four attackers and one holding midfielder behind Haaland, but those four attackers float around the pitch. One of those players could be Kane, as defenses wouldn’t know who to mark.
The downside could be that it exacerbates some of the out-of-possession issues City have had in their press this season. The forward line has left huge gaps as City have pressed aggressively. Kane isn’t a bad presser, but if he’s asked to drop deeper, we have no evidence to suggest whether his work without the ball would be sufficient in this new position, particularly in terms of tackling and closing players down.
Teams are smart about exploiting space. Guardiola couldn’t have both players pressing as forwards. Still, most of City’s game will be played with them dictating the tempo, so the focus will be on what Kane brings in possession. It’s inventive, but with Guardiola, it’s wild enough to work.
In terms of other Premier League clubs, Liverpool have signed three attackers and are trying to figure out how they fit. Arsenal are ruled out because of Kane’s Spurs allegiance, which leaves a possible romantic return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After getting a taste of his first piece of silverware, though, Kane returning to his old club or moving to Chelsea or Manchester United would be a step down.
Elsewhere in Europe, with the lack of funds in Serie A, Kane’s next challenge could be tackling LaLiga with Real Madrid or Barcelona. Neither the Catalan giants nor Real Madrid have a pure No. 9 with a physical and aerial presence, besides Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona, whose contract expires in summer 2026. Since Joselu left Real Madrid, Los Blancos have missed the player, as Thibaut Courtois highlighted last season. “We put in a lot of crosses, but this year we don’t have Joselu, a natural striker up front,” he said after being knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal.
Coach Xabi Alonso has a vast array of talent in attack that he likes to rotate. Adding Kane would give the Spaniard an even bigger selection headache. The Bayern forward isn’t accustomed to that, and Lewandowski’s expiring contract and Kylian Mbappé‘s tremendous form make Barcelona a more attractive option. It’s hard to envision Kane combining with Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Pedri and not being successful, as Barça create plenty but are often wasteful in front of goal. As the starting striker, Kane would be a perfect fit in Barcelona’s swaggering attack.
A longer stay in Munich?
With his current form, ability and profile as one of the world’s best players, Kane is a suitable fit for a club that challenges for a league title and the Champions League every season. It’s why he says he’s open to a new contract with Bayern Munich.
“In terms of staying longer [at Bayern], I could definitely see that,” he said Oct. 6. “I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation.”
Despite being a tantalizing prospect for many clubs, Kane has repeatedly spoken of how happy he is in Germany — maybe to the point where he himself didn’t expect to enjoy it this much.
The feeling has always been that he would eventually return to England, but after winning his first Bundesliga title, it’s clear his focus is on winning as much as possible in Bavaria. With the astonishing way he has adapted to his new role, who’s to say he couldn’t extend his contract and become a Bayern Munich legend?
LOS ANGELES — It’s easy to take Shohei Ohtani for granted. By now, we’ve settled into the rote comfort: He is the best player on the planet, and that’s that. Ohtani’s baseline is everyone else’s peak. He is judged against himself and himself only.
And it’s human nature that when we watch something often enough — even something as mind-bending as a player who’s a full-time starting pitcher and full-time hitter and among the very best at both — it starts to register as normal.
Which is his performance on Friday — the unleashing of the full extent of Ohtani’s magic — was the sort of necessary reminder that one of the greatest athletes in the world, and the most talented baseball player ever, is playing right now, doing unfathomable things, redefining the game in real time. And that even when he starts the day mired in an uncharacteristic slump, Ohtani needs only a single game to launch himself into the annals of history.
Where Ohtani’s performance in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series ranks on the all-time list of games will be debated for years. In the celebration following the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, though, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stood on the field and said, “That’s the greatest night in baseball history,” and no one cared to argue.
Over the course of 2 hours, 41 minutes, in front of 52,883 fans, with millions watching domestically and tens of millions more in Japan, Ohtani threw six shutout innings and struck out 10 in between hitting three home runs that traveled a combined 1,342 feet, including one that left Dodger Stadium entirely. It was the sort of game that happens in comic books, not real life — and it was a game that completed a championship series sweep and sent Los Angeles to its second consecutive World Series. It was the kind of night that leaves patrons elated they saw it and also just a little ruined because they know they’ll never see anything like it again. Everyone was a prisoner, captive to perhaps the greatest individual game in the quarter-million or so played over the last century and a half.
It was, at very least, one of the finest displays of baseball since the game’s inception, up there with Tony Cloninger hitting two grand slams and throwing a complete game in 1966 or Rick Wise socking two home runs amid his no-hitter on the mound in 1971. And unlike those, this came in the postseason, and in a game to clinch Los Angeles the opportunity to become the first team in a quarter-century to win back-to-back championships.
It wasn’t quite Don Larsen throwing a perfect game — but Larsen went 0-for-2 in that game and needed a Mickey Mantle home run to account for his scoring. It wasn’t Reggie Jackson hammering three home runs, either — because Reggie needed Mike Torrez to throw a complete game that night to make his blasts stand up.
Ohtani is the only player who can do this, the offense and the defense — the mastery of baseball, the distillation of talent into something pure and perfect..
Hours earlier, his day had started by navigating the tricky balance of starting and hitting on the same day. His metronomic routine, such a vital piece of his three MVP seasons (the fourth will be made official in mid-November), is upended completely when he pitches. He budgets for the extra time he needs to spend caring for his arm by sacrificing his attendance at the hitters’ meeting, instead getting the intel he needs from coaches in the batting cage about an hour before the game.
Nobody could tell, when Ohtani arrived in the underground cage Friday, that he was mired in a nasty slump that had stretched from the division series through the third game of the NLCS, a jag of strikeouts and soft contact and poor swing decisions and utter frustration that got so bad earlier in the week he’d taken batting practice outside at Dodger Stadium, something he never — like, really, never — does. He had decided to do so on the plane ride back from Milwaukee, where the Dodgers had humbled the Brewers with the sort of starting pitching never before seen in a league championship series.
Game 4, his teammates were convinced, was going to be a culmination of that extra cage work and the matching of his pitching peers’ dominance.
“You guys asked me yesterday, and I said I was expecting nothing short of incredible today,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “And he proved me wrong. He went beyond incredible.”
After walking the leadoff hitter Brice Turang, Ohtani struck out the next three hitters, popping a pair of 100-mph-plus fastballs and unleashing the most confounding version of his splitter seen all year. He followed by obliterating a slurve from Jose Quintana in the bottom of the inning for a home run, the first time a pitcher ever hit a leadoff homer in the game’s history, regular season or playoffs.
The strikeouts continued — one in the third inning, two more in the fourth, preceding Ohtani’s second home run, which left 50,000 mouths agape. In the stands, they cheered, and in the dugout, they whooped, and in the bullpen, they screamed: “The ball went out of the stadium!” Alex Vesia, the reliever who would come in after Ohtani struck out two more in the fifth and sixth innings, could not conceive that a person could hit a baseball in a game that far. Officially, it went 469 feet. It felt like 1,000.
“At that point, it’s got to be the greatest game ever, right?” said Vesia, who did his part to help keep it so. Ohtani allowed a walk and a hit in the seventh inning, and had Vesia allowed either run to score, the sparkling zero in his pitching line could’ve been an unsightly one or crooked two. When he induced a groundball up the middle that nutmegged his legs, Mookie Betts was in perfect position to hoover it, step on second and fire to first for a double play that preserved Ohtani’s goose egg.
In the next inning, Ohtani’s third home run of the night, and this one was just showing off: a shot to dead center off a 99-mph Trevor Megill fastball, a proper complement to the second off an 89-mph Chad Patrick cutter and the first off a 79-mph Jose Quintana slurve). If it sounds impressive to hit three different pitches off three different pitchers for home runs in one night, it is. To do so throwing six innings, allowing two hits, walking three and striking out 10 is otherworldly.
“We were so focused on just winning the game, doing what needed to be done, I’m not sure we realized how good it really was,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “I didn’t really appreciate it until after. Like, he actually did that?”
Yes. Yes he did. In baseball history, 503 players have hit three home runs in a game, and 1,550 have struck out 10 or more in a game. None, until Friday, had done both. And that’s what Shohei Ohtani does, who he is. For eight years, he has transformed what is possible in baseball, set a truly impossible standard to match, and now, finally, having signed with a franchise capable of giving his talents the largest stage, Ohtani gets to perform when it matters most.
Milwaukee won more games during the regular season than anyone. Regardless of how impotent the Brewers’ offense was this series, they were a very good team, and the Dodgers flayed them. The final game was an exclamation point — and a warning for the Seattle Mariners or Toronto Blue Jays, whichever survives the back-and-forth American League Championship Series.
Shohei Ohtani awaits. Good luck.
Qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup began on Oct. 12, 2023, when countries from the Asian confederation played their first round of matches. Myanmar’s Lwin Moe Aung scored the very first goal in a 5-1 win over Macau.
All confederations are drawing to a close, but we’re still a long way from discovering the full list of 45 nations that will join hosts United States, Mexico and Canada to make up the field of 48.
Japan were the very first country to qualify on March 20.
QUALIFIED (25/45): Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Qatar, England, Saudi Arabia, Ivory Coast, Senegal
What was decided in October?
Europe and Concacaf: Qualifying doesn’t end until November, but we did see England become the first European country to book their place.
Africa: The final two rounds of the group stage were played, when we discovered the seven nations that joined Morocco and Tunisia, plus the interconfederation playoff contenders.
Asia: The fourth round was played, when we will found out the final two automatic qualifiers, along with the two interconfederation playoff contenders.
South America and Oceania: Qualification complete.
There were 54 FIFA-affiliated nations in the draw. However, Eritrea subsequently withdrew.
Round 1: The teams were in eight groups of six nations, and one group of five (with Eritrea removed).
The nine group winners qualified for the World Cup.
This stage began in November 2023 and was completed in October 2025.
QUALIFIED (9/9): Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Senegal
How teams qualified as the group stage ended
Group A: EGYPT (23) qualified with a 3-0 win over rock-bottom Djibouti (1), on the back of two goals from Mohamed Salah. Burkina Faso (21) put themselves in with a strong chance of one of the playoff spots with a 3-1 win over Ethiopia but were edged out on goal difference.
Group B: SENEGAL (24) beat Mauritania (7) 4-0 to qualify. Second-placed DR Congo (22) beat Sudan (13) 1-0 and take a playoff place.
Group C: Benin (17, +1) had qualification in their own hands, but lost 4-0 in Nigeria (17, +7). That enabled SOUTH AFRICA (18) to qualify for the World Cup with a 3-0 win at home to Rwanda (11). Nigeria finished second and scored their fourth in the final minute, a goal which guaranteed a place in the playoffs.
Group D: CAPE VERDE (23) eased to a debut World Cup appearance by winning 3-0 at home to Eswatini (3) on Monday. Cameroon could only draw 0-0 at home to Angola, but they are through to round two in November.
Group E: MOROCCO (21) qualified. Niger (15) confirmed second place by winning in Zambia on Sunday, but missed out on a playoff on goal difference.
Group F: IVORY COAST (26) beat Kenya (12) 3-0 to confirm their place at the World Cup. Gabon (25) have to settle for a playoff route.
Group G: ALGERIA (25) qualified with a 3-0 win over Somalia (1). Uganda (18) took second place despite a late 2-1 defeat in Algeria on Tuesday, but it’s not good enough for a playoff.
Group H: TUNISIA (28) have qualified. Namibia (15) took second place but they have the worst record of all the runners-up and will not be in the playoffs.
Group I: GHANA (25) won 1-0 at home to Comoros (15) to become the 18th team to qualify. Madagascar (19) suffered a damaging 4-1 defeat to Mali (15), and that cost them a best runners-up spot.
Final ranking of second-placed teams:
NB: To determine the best second-place teams, the results of the team to finish sixth in the six-team groups were removed.
1 Gabon — Played 8, Points 19 (GD +6)
2 DR Congo — 8, 16 (+5)
3 Cameroon — 8, 15 (+9)
4 Nigeria — 8, 15 (+7)
———-
5 Burkina Faso — 8, 15 (+6)
7 Niger — 8, 15 (+1)
7 Madagascar — 8, 13 (0)
8 Uganda — 8, 12 (+2)
9 Namibia — 8, 9 (-2)
– Check out the latest fixtures and results here | Latest tables
Round 2: The four best runners-up will enter CAF playoffs (two semifinals and a final) to decide which one country will go to the interconfederation playoffs. This stage will be played on neutral ground in Morocco in November 2025.
The fixtures will be created using the FIFA World Ranking, and we know them now. The highest rank will play the lowest rank, and second faces third. The winners of those two ties will then meet to move on to the March playoffs.
Nigeria (current World Ranking 41) vs. Gabon (77)
Cameroon (54) vs. DR Congo (60)
There are 55 European nations, although 54 will compete as Russia remain suspended due to the invasion of Ukraine.
There are 12 groups of four or five teams, playing home and away matches. The group stage qualifying process ends with a double-header in November.
The 12 group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, with the 12 runners-up entering the playoff system.
Qualifying began in March 2025 when most of the European teams who were not in UEFA Nations League (UNL) action played their first matches.
QUALIFIED (1/12): England
What happened in October?
The teams that were in the UNL finals only played their first games in September so we’re still a way off from discovering all the qualifiers.
Group A: Germany (9, +5) and Slovakia (9, +3) are in the box seat, and Northern Ireland (6, +1) will surely have to win in Slovakia on Nov. 14 to stay in contention. The final group game between Germany and Slovakia in Leipzig on Nov. 17 looks like being the decider, though. If Northern Ireland miss out on the top two, they are almost certain to get a playoff through the Nations League route. Luxembourg (0) are out.
Group B: Switzerland (10, +9) hold a lead over Kosovo (7, -1) and their goal difference is worth an extra point. In effect, it means the Swiss will have qualified in all but name if they win at home to Sweden (1) on Nov. 15. If they don’t, it could open the door to Kosovo, who are away to Slovenia (3) before hosting Switzerland in what could be a decider on Nov. 18. Slovenia must beat Kosovo to keep alive their hopes of a playoff. Sweden are all but out of it but are set to get a playoff route through the Nations League.
Group C: Denmark (10, +11) and Scotland (10, +5) are the only two teams left in contention. On Nov. 15, it’s Denmark vs. Belarus while Scotland go to Greece. As long as Scotland avoid defeat, the group is set up for a decider between the top two in Glasgow on Nov. 18; that looks like being must-win for Scotland as their goal difference is not as good. Greece and Belarus are eliminated.
Group D: France (10, +6) still have work to do to hold off Ukraine (7, +1) in second. On Nov. 13, it’s France vs. Ukraine and Les Bleus will qualify with a victory. Even if France lose, goal difference means they are in strong position with a home game against Azerbaijan (1, -9) to finish up on Nov. 16. Iceland (4, +2) will hope that France get the win, as if Iceland beat Azerbaijan they will move into the playoff place on goal difference. And that sets up a huge final day-game between Ukraine and Iceland in Warsaw. Azerbaijan have only a mathematical chance of a playoff.
Group E: Spain (12) are top with a 100% record with Turkey (9) the nearest challengers. Spain have a goal difference advantage of 12 over Turkey, so they will qualify in all but name with a victory in Georgia (3) on Nov. 15 (and it will be certain if Turkey do not win at home to Bulgaria). Turkey look set for the playoffs, while Bulgaria (0) are out.
Group F: Portugal (10) are close to qualification but a late Hungary (5) equaliser in Lisbon meant they must wait until November to seal it. A win in Republic of Ireland (4) on Nov. 13 seals it for Portugal, but the Irish need results in the race for second place. On the same day it’s Armenia (3) vs. Hungary, with the away team able to seal second place with a win if Ireland lose to Portugal. On the final day on Nov. 16, it’s Hungary vs. Ireland and Portugal vs. Armenia.
Group G: Netherlands (16, +19) sit top ahead of Poland (13, +4), who do still have to host Netherlands on Nov. 14 but their goal difference is 13 worse right now — so the Dutch know they can afford to lose that and as long as they win at home to Lithuania (3) on Nov. 17 they’ll still top the group. With a game in hand on Finland (10, -5) and far superior goal difference, it looks like Poland will be in the playoffs. Lithuania and Malta are out.
Group H: A surprise win for Romania (10) at home to Austria (15) has reignited the group, but Austria remain favourites to top it.
Nov. 15: Austria will qualify with a win in Cyprus (8) if Bosnia and Herzegovina (13) draw or lose at home to Romania, who must at least avoid defeat to stay in contention for a playoff spot (though they will get a route as a UEFA Nations League group winner regardless). Romania finish up at home to San Marino, so if they can beat Bosnia they will be odds-on to finish at least second, and that would benefit another country through the Nations League route.
Nov. 18: If Bosnia and Austria both win (or results to keep the two teams in touch), then they meet each other in Vienna to decide who qualifies automatically.
Cyprus are out and San Marino have only slim hope of a playoff through the Nations League route.
Group I: Norway (18, +26) are in control ahead of Italy (15, +10) and it’s Norway’s vastly superior goal difference which means a win at home to Estonia (4) on Nov. 13 should effectively do the job, even if Italy win away to Moldova (1) that day. On the final day, it’s Italy vs. Norway; if Norway go into it three points ahead then Italy would need a huge win to avoid the playoffs.
Group J: Belgium (14, +15), who moved back to the top of the table with a 4-2 win in Wales, finish up against two eliminated teams — away to Kazakhstan (7) on Nov. 15 and at home to Liechtenstein (0). As North Macedonia have only one fixture to play, Belgium need three points to qualify, so they will do it by beating Kazakhstan — though the second game against Liechtenstein means it’s effectively a formality. North Macedonia (13, +9) will look to hold off Wales (10, +3) for second. Wales go to Liechtenstein first up, before a huge game against North Macedonia in Cardiff. Wales need to win by six goals in the first game to go into the match in second on goal difference, which would mean a draw would be enough in the last game. While both North Macedonia and Wales are guaranteed a playoff route through the Nations League, finishing in second gives a better seeding — and for Wales a home semifinal.
Group K: ENGLAND (18) have dominated the group, qualifying with a 100% record without conceding a goal. It was sealed with a 5-0 win in Latvia. Albania (11) hold the playoff place over Serbia (10), and both play England in November. As Albania’s other game is vs. Andorra (1) they are favourites to finish second.
Group L: Croatia (16, +19) now look locked for the World Cup and need just one point from games in November at home to Faroe Islands (12) and away to Montenegro (6). Even if they lost both matches, their goal difference is far better than that of Czechia (13, +4), who have one game left. A shock win for the Faroes at home to Czechia is unlikely to mean they can gatecrash the playoff place, because Czechia’s last remaining game is at home to Gibraltar on Nov. 17. Faroe Islands are away to Croatia on Nov. 14, and Czechia will be assured of second if the Faroes lose. Montenegro and Gibraltar are eliminated.
– Check out the latest fixtures and results here | Tables
PLAYOFFS
The final four places at the World Cup will be determined via the UEFA playoffs, to be played in March 2026. There is no path to the World Cup through FIFA’s interconfederation playoffs.
The UEFA playoffs involve 16 teams: the 12 group stage runners-up plus the four best-ranked group winners from the UNL, who did not finish in the top two in World Cup qualifying. This creates four routes, each with four teams featuring a one-legged semifinal and a final for a place at the World Cup.
The priority order for the four World Cup playoff places through the UNL is: Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, England, Norway, Wales, Czechia, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Moldova, San Marino.
Of the 14 teams to win their UNL groups, 10 of those were in Pot 1 or 2 for the World Cup qualifying draw — so on ranking would finish in the top two of their group. If that comes to pass, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Moldova and San Marino would get a playoff place. However, that now appears unlikely with Romania and Sweden struggling to finish in the top two.
Seeding:
Pot 1: Four World Cup qualifying group runners-up with the best FIFA World Ranking
Pot 2: As above, teams fifth to eighth in the FIFA World Ranking list order
Pot 3: As above, teams ninth to 12th in the FIFA World Ranking list order
Pot 4: UEFA Nations League teams
Semifinals:
Pot 1 vs. Pot 4
Pot 2 vs. Pot 3
This is by some distance the most complicated route to the World Cup, with a layered qualifying process featuring a dual group stage to find the eight automatic qualifiers. But the main part is now done and dusted.
Round 1: The 20 lowest-ranked nations played two-legged ties in October 2023. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore and Yemen advanced.
Round 2: Those 10 winners joined the 26 best-ranked nations. The 36 teams were drawn into nine groups of four teams, with the top two nations going through to Round 3. This stage began in November 2023 and was completed in June 2024.
Advanced: Australia, Bahrain, China, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan
Round 3: We were left with 18 nations, drawn into three groups of six teams. Matches began in September 2024 and the round is completed on Tuesday.
The group winners and runners-up took the first six places at the 2026 World Cup and their campaign is complete.
Japan became the first team to qualify for the World Cup on March 20, followed by Iran, Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Australia.
– Check out the results | Final tables
Round 4: The six teams in this stage were drawn into two groups of three. They played each other once, so two matches in total per team, in one host country in October.
QUALIFIED (8/8): Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
What was decided in October?
We found out the final two automatic qualifiers, plus the teams that will battle it out for a playoff in round five.
Group A: Qatar (hosts), United Arab Emirates, Oman
Wednesday: Oman 0-0 Qatar
Saturday: United Arab Emirates 2-1 Oman
Tuesday: Qatar 2-1 United Arab Emirates
Qatar won the final group game 2-1 and qualified for the World Cup, while UAE are in the playoff.
Group B: Saudi Arabia (hosts), Iraq, Indonesia
Wednesday: Indonesia 2-3 Saudi Arabia
Saturday: Iraq 1-0 Indonesia
Tuesday: Saudi Arabia 0-0 Iraq
A goalless draw meant the two hosts of the playoffs both qualified, Iraq move into the playoffs.
Round 5: A two-legged tie in November 2025 to earn the place in the interconfederation playoffs.
UAE will play Iraq.
Usually, Concacaf would have six automatic places in qualifying — but for the 2026 finals three of the six are taken up by the hosts. That leaves three places to be won, plus two spots in the interconfederation playoff path.
Concacaf saw 32 nations enter the race to make the finals.
Round 1: The four lowest-ranked Concacaf nations battled it out in two-legged ties. Anguilla and British Virgin Islands eliminated Turks and Caicos Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands respectively, both on penalties.
Round 2: The top 28-ranked nations, plus the two winners from Round 1, were drawn into six groups of five teams. Teams played each other only once, rather than home and away. This stage was played in two blocks, in June 2024 and June 2025.
The six group winners and six group runners-up moved on to Round 3.
Advanced: Bermuda, Costa Rica, Curaçao, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago
Round 3: The 12 remaining teams were drawn into three groups of four teams.
This phase started in September and will be completed in October and November.
The group winners will qualify for the World Cup, with the two runners-up with the best record going on to take part in the interconfederation playoffs.
– Check out the fixtures and results | Latest tables
QUALIFIED (0/3):
What was decided in October?
Group A: Panama (6) and Suriname (6) drew 1-1, with a 1-0 win for Guatemala (5) in El Salvador (3) leaving the group wide open — and it’s guaranteed to go to the last day. On November, 13 it’s Suriname vs. El Salvador and Guatemala vs. Panama. The group finishes up on Nov. 18 with Guatemala vs. Suriname and Panama vs. El Salvador.
Group B: Jamaica (9) moved top of the group with a 4-0 thrashing of Bermuda (0), who are now eliminated. Closest challengers Curaçao (8) drew at home to Trinidad and Tobago (5). Jamaica can qualify on Nov. 13 with a victory in Trinidad & Tobago if Curaçao fail to win in Bermuda. The last-day showdown between Jamaica and Curaçao in Kingston looks decisive, however.
Group C: Honduras (8) are in a good position after they beat Haiti (5) on Monday. The nearest challengers are Costa Rica (6), who thrashed Nicaragua (1). Nov. 13 sees Honduras go to Nicaragua, and a win will send them to the World Cup if Haiti vs. Costa Rica is a draw. On the final day on Nov. 18 it’s Costa Rica vs. Honduras, which could yet be a decider for the automatic qualification place.
As in recent qualifying competitions, all 10 nations played each other home and away. The top six nations qualified directly to the finals. The seventh-placed team goes into the interconfederation playoffs in March.
The first qualifiers took place in September 2023, with the league phase completed in September 2025.
QUALIFIED (6/6): Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay
Bolivia are in the interconfederation playoffs.
– Check out the results | Final table
All 11 members of the OFC region took part. Round 1: The four lowest-ranked nations played a knockout format (two semis and a final) in Samoa in September 2024. American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga were in this round. Samoa beat Tonga 2-1 in the final to advance. Round 2: Samoa and the seven top-ranked nations were drawn into two groups of four nations, with matches played in October and November 2024. Games were held in Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. The top two countries in each group — New Caledonia, Tahiti, New Zealand and Fiji — went on to Round 3. – Check out the results here | Final tables Round 3: The four remaining countries then played a one-legged knockout format (two semis and a final) in New Zealand in March 2025. Semifinals, March 21 Final, March 24 QUALIFIED (1/1): New Zealand As winners of the final, New Zealand qualified for the World Cup, with losers New Caledonia moving onto the interconfederation playoffs. The playoffs, to be held in March 2026, will determine the final two qualifiers. Six countries will take part. Each of the five confederations (apart from UEFA) will provide one country. The host confederation (so for this edition Concacaf) receives a second slot. 1 Africa (Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon or Nigeria) The two nations with the best FIFA World Ranking will be seeded and go straight into one of the two finals. The four other countries will be drawn to play a semifinal, feeding through to play a seed for one of the two places at the World Cup. The playoffs are due to be held in one of the World Cup host nations as a test event.
New Caledonia 3-0 Tahiti
New Zealand 7-0 Fiji
New Caledonia 0-3 New Zealand
Interconfederation playoffs (2 places)
1 Asia (Iraq or UAE)
2 Concacaf
1 Oceania (New Caledonia)
1 South America (Bolivia)
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Shohei Ohtani did something never before seen in MLB history Friday night.
The Japanese phenom hit three home runs and pitched six scoreless innings, leading the Dodgers back to the World Series. Los Angeles finished a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Championship Series with a 5-1 victory in Game 4.
According to MLB.com Ohtani is now the only player in league history to hit multiple home runs in a game he pitched. He reached that milestone with his second homer in the fourth inning and added a third in the seventh. He also struck out 10 batters over six scoreless innings.
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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with third base coach/outfield coach Dino Ebel (91) as he runs home to score after hitting a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Before Friday, only 12 MLB players in history had hit three home runs in a postseason game, and just 26 pitchers had struck out at at least 10 without allowing a run. Now Ohtani is on both those lists and is the only player to do both in the same game.
Fans and sports analysts on social media called it one of the greatest performances in baseball history, with ESPN and MLB Network highlighting the unprecedented combination of pitching and hitting dominance.
BREWERS FAN LOSES JOB AFTER IMPLORING SHE WOULD ‘CALL ICE’ ON HISPANIC DODGERS SUPPORTER: REPORT
Ohtani’s Dodgers are the first team to win back-to-back pennants since Philadelphia in 2009. Los Angeles is back in the World Series for the fifth time in nine seasons, and it will attempt to become baseball’s first repeat champs since the New York Yankees won three straight World Series from 1998 to 2000.
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Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning of game four of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images)
Los Angeles will have a week off before the World Series begins next Friday, either in Toronto or at Dodger Stadium against Seattle. The Mariners beat the Blue Jays 6-2 earlier Friday to take a 3-2 lead in the ALCS, which continues Sunday at the Rogers Centre.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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