Sports
Records: Gambling group targeted college hoops
Sportsbooks flagged dozens of suspicious bets made by gamblers repeatedly wagering against the same small-conference teams in at least 11 men’s college basketball games over six weeks last season, documents obtained by ESPN show.
As the NCAA and federal authorities investigate alleged point-shaving in college basketball, the documents reveal new details about the behavior of an alleged gambling syndicate and the games that suspected members targeted between Dec. 1, 2024, and mid-January 2025. ESPN obtained the documents in a public records request.
At least nine sportsbooks in 13 states and one Canadian province detected similar unusual betting activity, according to an email sent by IC360, a firm that monitors the betting market for abnormalities. The gamblers kept betting big against the same teams and winning.
In some cases, customers opened new sportsbook accounts or reemerged after weeks of inactivity to place larger-than-normal or multiple consecutive wagers on the first-half spreads of games, the records show.
Sportsbooks reported seeing similar betting activity on first-half spreads in the 2023-24 college basketball season and believed these bets were connected to the same gambling syndicate, according to the records and a source with direct knowledge.
One sportsbook wrote in the documents that several bettors had potential links to the syndicate and referenced Marves Fairley, a Mississippi man who sells betting picks online, as “the main syndicate suspect.” When reached by ESPN, Fairley denied any involvement.
Multiple sources familiar with the federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania told ESPN that the FBI has been interviewing college athletes and believe indictments are forthcoming. The sources said they have seen evidence of plots to fix college basketball games.
A spokesperson for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania declined comment.
It is not clear if the syndicate is behind all the suspicious bets flagged in the documents, but the games mentioned involve five of the six schools where the NCAA says 13 former players are under investigation for participating in gambling schemes: Eastern Michigan, Temple, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley State.
The first alert issued in this period, however, named a program that the NCAA has not mentioned — Stony Brook. On Dec. 1, 2024, IC360 received a report from a sportsbook about unusual betting interest on Norfolk State to cover the first-half spread against Stony Brook, the documents show.
A betting account that had been “relatively dormant” placed nine $300 bets on Norfolk State to cover the first-half spread, one sportsbook said. At another sportsbook, customers opened new betting accounts to make their first wagers for “excessive amounts” on Norfolk State, according to the documents. Additionally, betting accounts that the sportsbook believed were linked to each other continued to bet on Norfolk State, even after the line had moved to a less advantageous number. The sportsbook halted wagering on the game, the records show. Norfolk State led 34-27 at halftime, covering the spread.
A spokesperson for Stony Brook declined comment. The NCAA is aware of the suspicious betting against Stony Brook, according to a source with direct knowledge.
Three weeks after the Norfolk State-Stony Brook game, a group of bettors arrived at Harrah’s Gulf Coast casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Dec. 21, 2024, with tens of thousands of dollars. In a span of 45 minutes, the bettors placed a series of large bets on two games: $2,500 and $1,700 on Tulsa to cover the 26-point spread against Mississippi Valley State, according to the records. Some of the bettors attempted to wager $20,000 on Tulsa but were denied. They also bet $4,000, $3,500 and $2,200 on Wright State to cover the spread in the first half against Eastern Michigan, the records show. All the bets were easy winners.
“At this time, there is belief of a potential tie between these bettors, and bettors who placed suspicious wagers on First Half markets in flagged games last season,” an incident report from IC360 the next day read.
One customer who bet on Wright State had also wagered on a Temple game the previous season that was flagged for suspicious betting, according to the documents. ESPN previously reported that a former Temple player is under federal investigation for allegedly betting on his own games and manipulating his performance.
After an internal investigation, Caesars Entertainment, the parent company of Harrah’s Gulf Coast, found that several of the bettors knew each other or suspected members of the syndicate, according to the records. Two of them worked at the same company. Another would be arrested two days later in Mobile, Alabama, on drug and money-laundering charges. Federal authorities described him in court records as a “prolific and successful” interstate drug trafficker who had gambled more than $10 million over four years in casinos in Mississippi and Nevada. He pleaded guilty and is currently in prison.
A Caesars representative also wrote in a report that Fairley, whom the sportsbook called “the main syndicate suspect,” had previously placed suspicious wagers at Harrah’s Gulf Coast and had been banned from betting companywide.
Fairley, who has not been charged with a crime, denied any involvement in point-shaving schemes when reached by phone Wednesday. He denied betting on the college games in question. Asked if he was in a gambling syndicate, he said, “I sell picks.” He said he has not spoken to federal authorities and only vaguely knew of the investigation through one of his attorneys.
“Once this thing comes out and we can talk, man, and get all this behind us, whatever is going on, whatever the suspicion may be, just try to figure it out,” Fairley told ESPN.
Fairley told ESPN that he knows Shane Hennen, one of the co-conspirators in the federal gambling case of former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, who has admitted in court to manipulating his performances in two games for betting purposes. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York allege that Hennen received inside information about Porter, distributed the tips to other gamblers and placed bets through proxies.
Hennen was involved in “illicit financial transactions and fraudulent sports wagers totaling millions of dollars” using “a network of proxies and straw bettors located across the country,” a prosecutor wrote in a court filing in January. He was arrested that month while attempting to board an international flight and is currently negotiating a plea, court filings show.
Hennen’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment from ESPN. A spokesperson for the Eastern District of New York declined comment.
Both Hennen and Fairley have extensive criminal records. In 2016, Fairley told a Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agent that he “liked to gamble and obtained the largest portion of his money and assets from his role as a Bookie,” according to a court record.
ESPN previously reported that some of the same gambling accounts that bet on Porter also wagered on prop bets for veteran NBA guard Terry Rozier and against North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State and Eastern Michigan. Fairley denied betting on either Porter or Rozier in the games in question.
In June, ESPN reported that the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Porter case is investigating gambling allegations against NBA free agent Malik Beasley. Attorneys for Beasley and Rozier have said their clients are not targets of the federal investigation.
In January, the suspicious wagering continued, this time against North Carolina A&T, the records show. In Mississippi, a BetMGM customer placed two big wagers on Elon to cover the spread in the first half of a Jan. 2 game against North Carolina A&T: a $1,200 bet on Elon to cover the 3.5-point first-half spread and a $5,000 two-leg parlay on Elon -3.5 in the first half and Tennessee State -2.5. The bettor cashed out the parlay at 9:25 p.m. ET for $5,300 after Elon covered the first-half spread while Tennessee State was trailing, according to the records. The user had only one previous wager close to that size, BetMGM noted.
Gamblers also targeted Eastern Michigan, beginning with the Wright State game in December. On Jan. 7, 2025, a bettor tried to place a $10,000 wager on Toledo to cover the first-half spread against Eastern Michigan at the Fitz Casino and Hotel in northern Mississippi, according to the documents. The book allowed him to wager only $5,000, which paid out $9,348. He then went to the nearby Gold Strike Casino to make a $9,000 bet against Eastern Michigan, records show.
On the other side of the state, at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, two customers wagered $12,000 against Eastern Michigan on the first-half spread and a third put down $10,000, according to the documents. Toledo finished the first half up 46-33, covering the spread.
IC360 sent out a third alert involving an Eastern Michigan game on Jan. 14. Bettors again wagered against Eastern Michigan covering the first-half spread against Central Michigan, according to a copy of the alert obtained by ESPN. Central Michigan finished the first half up 39-33.
The records show gamblers also bet against New Orleans in four games: McNeese State on Dec. 28, Vanderbilt on Dec. 30, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Jan. 6 and Southeastern Louisiana on Jan. 11. Four New Orleans players were suspended from the team in late January, reportedly for alleged gambling violations.
In Mississippi, a BetMGM customer placed three wagers totaling $2,750 on McNeese State to cover the spread against New Orleans, according to the records. Previously, the patron had very few wagers on college basketball and was observed significantly raising his bet amount multiple times on McNeese State to cover, wagering $250 then $1,000 and $1,500, a BetMGM representative wrote.
“In all cases we have seen betting either from individuals that placed bets in matches already raised, or a similar pattern from new customers in the same geographical area — mostly in retail sportsbooks,” FanDuel wrote, noting similar betting against Mississippi Valley State in a game against Alabama A&M.
With the college basketball season just weeks away, the NCAA called on sportsbooks and regulators to help prevent more cases from arising. Tim Buckley, NCAA senior vice president for external affairs, said in a statement to ESPN that the NCAA hopes more states will outlaw prop bets and shut down black-market sites.
“Protecting the integrity of the game and preventing student-athletes from making bad decisions is a massive undertaking and requires athlete education, collaboration between sportsbooks, regulators and sports leagues,” he said.
An IC360 spokesperson said in a statement to ESPN that the ability to spot suspicious activity is a benefit of a maturing regulated betting market.
“Although the underlying suspicious activity is, of course, concerning, we are proud to be a part of a group of invested stakeholders diligently collaborating to combat bad actors in sport,” the spokesperson said, adding, “We’re optimistic these efforts will yield positive results as we approach college basketball season.”
The 2025-26 college basketball season tips off Nov. 3.
ESPN researcher John Mastroberardino and reporter Shwetha Surendran contributed to this report.
Liverpool face strong competition from Bayern Munich for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi, while Internazionale defender Federico Dimarco has admirers at Manchester United. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
Transfers homepage | Men’s grades | Women’s grades
TOP STORIES
– Guardiola: Grealish could still return to Man City
– Sources: Madrid’s Endrick wanted by multiple European clubs
– Sources: Man United may extend Casemiro but salary key
TRENDING RUMORS
– Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid are leading the race to sign Marc Guéhi in January, The i Paper reports. The Crystal Palace defender’s contract is set to expire next summer, meaning the reigning FA Cup holders are keen to cash in before he can depart on a free transfer. While Liverpool almost signed Guéhi back in August, a host of clubs around Europe could now rival them for his signature. Palace won’t let the England international leave on the cheap in January, despite the likes of Bayern being keen to land him “at the first opportunity.”
– Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is a huge fan of Federico Dimarco and would like to bring him to the Premier League, according to Tuttosport. The Inter Milan full-back, whose contract expires in 2027, has been in exceptional form so far this season, with two goals and three assists from his first six Serie A matches. United could face an uphill battle to secure his signature, however, as the dynamic left-back would like to end his career at Inter, amid talk of a bumper contract extension.
– Everton will be able to sign winger Jack Grealish for under £50 million next summer, according to the Daily Mail. Despite the winger’s strong start to life on Merseyside, it is believed that his transfer value will depreciate over the course of the season — which could help Everton sign him permanently. Grealish, 30, has grabbed four assists in seven matches this season, rediscovering his best form, and presenting England manager Thomas Tuchel with a selection headache.
– Bayern Munich are set to open talks with midfielder Leon Goretzka over a new contract. The Germany international, 30, is set to become a free agent int he summer if he does not sign a new deal at the Allianz Arena. Goretzka, who is in his eighth season at Bayern since joining them from Schalke 04, has started five Bundesliga matches for the defending champions so far this season. (Christian Falk)
– Eintracht Frankfurt are “keeping a close eye” on Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika, according to Florian Plettenberg. The 24-year-old is viewed as a potential replacement for Hugo Larsson, whose future at the Bundesliga club is currently uncertain. Eintracht have a long-standing interest in Onyedika, who has been the subject of several enquiries from clubs around Europe. According to Plettenberg, a transfer next summer appears “likely”.
EXPERT TAKE
1:20
Will Harry Kane ever return to the Premier League?
Gab Marcotti and Don Hutchison debate whether Harry Kane will ever return to the Premier League and what club he would join.
OTHER RUMORS
– Liverpool view Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck as a potential long-term replacement for Virgil Van Dijk. However, the Reds face competition for his signature from the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. (The i Paper)
– Juventus are monitoring the situation of Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali. (Football Insider)
– Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is “at the very top” of Manchester United’s midfielder shortlist. (TEAMtalk)
– Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are all interested in signing Juventus forward Kenan Yıldız. (Football Insider)
– Several clubs are monitoring Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup. The Denmark international has recently signed with a new agency, ahead of a potential transfer in 2026. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Sunderland will not revive their interest in Bologna defender Jhon Lucumí in January, contrary to reports in Italy. (Sky Sports News)
– Olympiacos are planning on extending centre-back Lorenzo Pirola‘s current deal. (Nicolo Schira)
– RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt are battling to sign Inter Milan defender Yann Aurel Bisseck, who has a €40 million price tag. (Ekrem Konur)
– Graham Potter is getting closer to becoming the new head coach of the Sweden national team. The former West Ham United boss looks set to join on an initial short-term deal, tasked with taking the team to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Fabrizio Romano)
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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