Football is a sport full of drama, distress, excitement, and unforgettable moments that are cherished from generation to generation. Goals are the highlighting factor that decides the fate of a team and that is why the near-misses leave the fans in agony and sometimes change the course of football's history.

These fumbles in front of the goal are surprising and unexpected at the same moment. In this article, we delve into the most shocking misses in football history.

Erling Haaland 

(Manchester City vs Liverpool, 2022 FA Community Shield Final)

The Norwegian goal-machine emerged as an absolute cheat-code for Manchester City since his move to Man City in 2022. However, he came to England as and promising youngster but faced criticism from fans after his open goal miss in his very first match for Manchester City in the FA Community Shield Final on 30 July 2022 against Liverpool.

Phil Foden unleashed a left-footed strike in the seventh minute of injury time and it was denied by Liverpool keeper Adrian, but Erling Haaland wasted an open chance to score from the second ball as he hit the crossbar from a close range to the goal. Liverpool won the game by 3-1.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

(PSG vs Strasbourg, Ligue 1 2018-19)

The Cameroonian International featured for teams such as Bayern Munich and Paris-Saint Germain, and he was a part of the PSG squad who were runner-ups in the UCL 2019-20. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting also scored the winner in injury time against Atalanta in the quarter-final of the same UCL campaign.

😳 We're not exactly sure what Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was doing here⁉️ The @PSG_English man denied his own teammate and left the ball sitting on the goal line. pic.twitter.com/blFnaPoOQA

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) April 7, 2019

However, Choupo-Moting got down in history for a bizarre instance in a 2-2 draw against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 during his first season with the French side. Christopher Nkunku successfully chipped the opponent keeper with a shot that was about to go in, but Choupo-Moting somehow stopped the shot on the line in an attempt to tap it in, but his intervention led the threat to get cleared. 

Neal Maupay

(Brentford vs Cardiff City, EFL Championship 2017-18)

Neal Maupay, the French forward who spent most of his career in England, joined Brentford in 2017 and went on to be a headline for his incredible open-goal miss against Cardiff City in the 2017-18 EFL Championship. 

On this day in 2017... 🗓

Neal Maupay pulled off one of the WORST misses you’ll EVER see for Brentford 🤯
pic.twitter.com/xD1Pd87wPE

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) November 18, 2022

The golden opportunity emerged as Ollie Watkins won the possession in front of the box by beating Sean Morrison in a duel and he fooled the keeper to pass it to Maupay, who only had an open goal in front of him.

However, Maupay took some time to slot it home as defender Sol Bamba ran onto the goal-line to stop the shot. Surprisingly, Maupay did not let Bamba do anything as he fired it inches off the post. Brentford eventually lost the game by 0-2.

Cristiano Ronaldo

(Manchester United vs Sheffield United, Premier League 2006-07)

Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the greatest footballer ever, also finds himself on this unfortunate list. The dreaded Portuguese netted the most goals in football history, although his unbelievable miss came in his early days at Old Trafford. Ronaldo wasted this open-scoring chance during a Premier League game against Sheffield United in 2006.

Cristiano Ronaldo pic.twitter.com/qKDPSCU4Nz

— LSPN_FC (@LSPN__FC) November 11, 2024

A sublime backheel by Wayne Rooney opened a space in front of the box for the Red Devils as Ryan Giggs intercepted the pass before cutting a grounder through Sheffield's defence. The ball comfortably found Cristiano Ronaldo but his strike flew over the crossbar from a very close distance to the goal.

Lionel Messi 

(Argentina vs Trinidad and Tobago, Friendly, 2014)

Lionel Messi, the other footballer who is arguably considered the greatest footballer of all-time, has also entered this fateful list due to his unbelievable blunder for Argentina against Trinidad and Tobago on 4 June 2014, prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 

Angel Di Maria fired into the opponent box and released a comfortable pass before the ball could cross the goal-line, but Messi failed to respond quickly as the defender cleared the ball from in front of an open goal before even Messi could intercept.

Randal Kolo Muani

(France vs Argentina, 2022 FIFA World Cup Final)

This wasted scoring opportunity changed Argentina's football history as Argentina lifted the 2022 FIFA World Cup by beating France in penalties, following an unnerving 3-3 draw after extra time. 

The 120-minute Final showcased a brilliant display of football ending in a 3-3 draw between France and Argentina, before going down to penalties to decide the world champion. However, France could have snatched the World Cup if Randal Kolo Muani was not denied by Emiliano Martinez in the last minute of the game.

The last minute save by Emi Martinez from Kolo Muani's shot will go down in the history as arguably the most clutch save in a World Cup Final and a very memorable for us Messi Fans. With that save I knew Messi was going to have a date with destiny. 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/BtfArjcFIs

— Messiologist 🇦🇷🇪🇸 (@breathMessi23) February 11, 2023

A lobbed pass was intercepted by Kolo Muani in front of Argentina's box as Nicolas Otamendi failed to intercept, but Kolo Muani's first-touch attempt was denied by Argentina keeper Emiliano Martine who stretched his leg to stop the shot. Only 47 seconds were left before the final whistle! This miss will remain iconic for the heroic save by Emi rather than the blunder by Kolo Muani.

Fernando Torres 

(Chelsea vs Manchester United, Premier League 2011-12)

Fernando Torres was arguably the top striker in the world in and around 2007 to 2010. Chelsea broke the British transfer record to acquire the Spaniard from Liverpool in January 2011. Somehow, 'El Nino' failed to replicate his Liverpool performance at Stamford Bridge, and his disappointing tenure with the Blues was highlighted by a moment during a match against Manchester United in September 2011.

This Torres miss vs Man United, one of the biggest misses in prem history pic.twitter.com/B52St4Z6qM

— GreatMan (@UtdGreatt) February 27, 2024

Torres already scored the only goal for his team but Chelsea was behind 3-1. In the 83rd minute, Ramires played a beautiful through that cut the United defense open in half. Torres intercepted the ball and managed to ease past David de Gea with a skillful feint, having an open goal in front of him.

However, Torres surprisingly shot the ball wide of the post and missed the golden chance which went down as one of the worst misses in the Premier League history.

Yakubu Ayegbeni

(Nigeria vs South Korea, FIFA World Cup 2010)

Nigeria faced South Korea in a do-or-die match after two consecutive defeats in the Group stage of FIFA World Cup 2010, and Yakubu Ayegbeni crashed the headlines but not quite for the right reasons.

Like Yakubu Aiyegbeni Like Yakubu Mahmoud 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️pic.twitter.com/EleHzAGR6A

— ỌjịUgo™️🍫👁️‍🗨️ (@OjiUgo_nwa) October 10, 2023

Midfielder Yusuf Ayila delivered a ball right into the six-yard box where Ayegbeni received the pass, but he missed the absolute sitter from inches close to the goal. The match eventually ended in a 2-2 draw and Nigeria finished at the bottom of the group.

Ilija Sivonjic

(Dinamo Zagreb vs Cibalia Vinkovci, HNK 2006)

Croatian footballer Ilija Sivonjic's open miss in 2006 for Dinamo Zagreb against Cibalia is widely considered one of the worst misses in football history. 

Ilija Sivonjic pic.twitter.com/kVjs9VHkzY

— Football Hub (@FootbalIhub) November 8, 2024

In the 33rd minute of the game, one of his Dinamo teammates slotted the ball on target. Although it went past the opposition keeper, it was stopped by Sivonjic who attempted a backheel to tap it in. The ball inexplicably bounced off the goal line and one of the Cibalia defenders sent it out of play. 

Ronny Rosenthal

(Liverpool vs Aston Villa, 1996)

Ronny Rosenthal started his Liverpool career very well, scoring 7 goals in his first 8 games. He even scored a hat-trick in his first game against Charlton. However, he couldn't keep up this great form later.

Ronny Rosenthal with one of the worst misses of all time vs Aston Villa, 1992. pic.twitter.com/rOf0NRFVDI

— 90s Football (@90sfootball) January 27, 2021

In 1992 during Pool's PL encounter against Aston Villa, Rosenthal wasted a golden opportunity to score. Rosenthal intercepted a long ball from David James and dribbled past the goalkeeper, but misfired his left-footed strike to hit the crossbar. This miss is still remembered as one of the worst misses in Premier League history.

Rosenthal later joked about this famous miss and said:

"Does it bother me? No it doesn't matter now. I'm glad it happened!

"I'm glad I missed because I'm still on the map [because of it]."

via Birmingham Live

Hello everyone! The grandest football tournament in Europe is BACK, and so are we! 

Welcome everyone to our LIVE coverage of UEFA Champions League 2025/26 matchday 1, where we will witness 18 matches from 16th September 2025 to 19 September 2025. 

In this LIVE blog, you will get LIVE scores, news, updates and results of each of those 18 matches at a single place. 

Arsenal will be in action on the 16th night, while as the night gets deeper, we will have Real Madrid facing Marseille, and Juventus playing Dortmund on the 17th night. 

On the 18th, defending champions PSG will be in action while Liverpool, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich will also be playing their matches. 

On the final night of matchday 1, we will see FC Barcelona playing Newcastle United, while Manchester City will be facing Napoli. So stay tuned and share the LIVE blog with your friends. 

Hello and welcome everyone to another live blog of the Premier League 2025- 26 season.

Tonight we have one of the biggest matches of the season as Manchester City hosts their archrivals, Manchester United, at the Etihad Stadium from 9:00 PM IST.

Both football clubs from Manchester have struggled to get going this season. City, managed by Pep Guardiola, have lost two out of their three games while United, under Ruben Amorim, has lost once, won once and drawn once so far.

So with both teams looking desperate for a win, we have got a mouth-watering contest at our hands. So sit back and relax as we bring you all the live updates of the Manchester City vs Manchester United match from our web desk.

Football, the beautiful game, is all about scoring goals and preventing someone from scoring goals. Whoever scores more goals wins a football game; that is why the goal scorers are one of the most important parts of a football team. With Erling Haaland becoming the first since Austria’s Hans Krankl in 1977 to score five goals in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match, the question was raised about who has scored the most goals in an official football match.

Haaland’s five goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers 

Inspired by Haaland’s remarkable accomplishment, scoring five times against Moldova to help Norway win 11-1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, we decided to explore records for goal scorers in official matches.

Haaland, who already shares the record for most goals in a UEFA Champions League game (which we’ll discuss soon), looked dangerous from the start. Despite a cut on his face from a bus accident the previous day, he found the net in the 11’, 36’, 43’, 52’, and 83’ minutes at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion.

But is this the most goals by a footballer in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match? The answer is NO.

Most goals in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match

Australia’s Archie Thompson holds the record for scoring the highest number of goals in a single FIFA World Cup qualifier match.

In the 2002 qualifying match, Thompson scored 13 goals against American Samoa, as the Aussies recorded a 31-0 win, the biggest victory in an international football match ever.

Read Also: FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far.

Has anyone scored five goals in a World Cup match?

Since we are talking about the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, let’s know who has scored the most goals in a FIFA World Cup match.

Actually, only once has someone scored five goals in a FIFA World Cup match. Oleg Salenko of Russia scored five goals in a 6-1 win over Cameroon in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. This is still the record for the most goals scored in a FIFA World Cup match.

Read Also: 10 Footballers Who Retired And Came Back

Most goals in a UEFA Champions League match

Since we were talking about Haaland scoring five goals in a UEFA Champions League match, let’s get to know who has scored the most goals in a UEFA Champions League match.

Paul Van Himst, Gerd Müller, Claudio Sulser, Søren Lerby, Lionel Messi, Luiz Adriano, and Erling Haaland have the record of scoring five goals in a single UEFA Champions League match, which is the highest in the tournament’s history.

Read Also: 11 players who have won the most trophies in football history.

Most goals in an official football match

Now, with any further delay, let’s get into the stat you have come here to know. Who has scored the most goals in a single official match? 

The record we will talk about is obviously taking first-class or fully professional matches for the country or club into consideration.

In Men’s football and overall, Yanick Manzizila of Sweden broke the record for the most goals scored in an official match by a player. Manzilila, in 2014, while playing for a club named Kongo United in the 9th division of Swedish football, scored 21 goals as Kongo United defeated Balrog Botkyrka Sodertalje by 30-0.

In Women’s football, Megi Doçi recently scored 16 goals in the 2024–25 Kategoria Superiore Femra on 16 March 2025. While playing for KFF Vllaznia, she surpassed her previous record of 14 goals as her team defeated KFF Lushnja by 23-0. 

In the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers game against Ecuador, Argentina, and Real Madrid's new star, Franco Mastantuono, did something that no one imagined. In Argentina's 0-1 defeat against Ecuador, the 18-year-old midfielder came out wearing the No.10 jersey, a number that fans associate only with Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi for their great careers with the La Albiceleste.

What happened?

Argentina, who have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and will defend their title in Mexico, Canada and the USA next year, were losing by 0-1 after the halftime.

Nicloas Otamendi's 31-minute last-man foul had already turned the defending champions into a 10-man team. A few minutes later, at the stroke of half-time, Enner Valencia converted the penalty for the home side to give Ecuador a 1-0 lead.

Read Also: FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far

Post half-time, Ecuador was also reduced to 10 men after Moisés Caicedo, the Chelsea star, was shown the second yellow card of the match. That allowed Lionel Scaloni to look for goals and somehow equalise.

At the one-hour mark, the Argentine boss brought Franco Mastantuono from the bench to replace Leandro Paredes.

What happened after that stunned the crowd and everyone watching the match as Mastantuono came out wearing the Jersey No.10 in the absence of Lionel Messi.

Messi, who started with the No.19 jersey for the Argentine senior team, did an outstanding job of justice to the famous No.10 jersey of Diego Armando, who everyone hails as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Which No. Mastantuono wear for Real Madrid?

With Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and other stars being there, Mastantuono had to choose a number like 30 for the Real Madrid team. He was brought to Real Madrid from River Plate with a huge transfer fee of €45.00m, which is one of the highest for a teenager ever.

Read Also: 20 Most expensive teenagers in football transfer history [2025]

Mastantuono, to date, has only played two games for Argentina and has yet to score or assist for the senior team. With Real Madrid, he has appeared only three times so far and has yet to register any goal contributions.

The participating teams' line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has started taking shape, as Iran and Argentina have booked their place from the qualification round into the finals of the tournament.

In 2022, the FIFA World Cup provided an unforgettable experience for over 1 billion viewers who tuned in. Lionel Messi-led Argentina to victory, giving the nation moments of joy and a fitting tribute to the late Diego Maradona while solidifying his place among players who have won every major trophy. 

Read Also: Europe's Top International Goalscorers: Cristiano Ronaldo extends his lead

Key Details on the FIFA World Cup 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his team in their bid to improve the quality of the World Cup and promote inclusivity increased the number of teams that will participate in the World Cup from an initial 32 teams to 48 teams.

The teams will be split into 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top 2 of each group and the 8 best third-placed teams progressing to a new Round of 32, 

The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994 and will be the first World Cup since 2002 to be hosted by more than one nation.

Read Also: FIFA World Cup 2026: The groups are set for the European qualifiers

How Do Teams Qualify for the World Cup?

Qualification for the World Cup is done based on the regions of the World. Each  regional Confederation is responsible for its qualification tournament, which will consist of at least one round of competition using the following formats  

• Confederations can use a League format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group twice – once at home and once away.
• A single round-robin format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing association
• A Knockout format in which each team in a round plays one other team over two legs once at home and once away.
• With FIFA's permission, a tournament is held in one of the participating nations or neutral territory.
• With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.

Europe has 16 slots, Asia has 8 slots with one extra from playoffs making it 9, Africa has 9 slots with one extra coming from playoffs, South America has 6 with one extra coming from playoffs making a total of 7, North America has 6 slots with 3 already taken due to the host nations.

Teams That Have Qualified

With qualifications still ongoing, the only nations that have qualified are the host nations, namely the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada qualification process for the World Cup will be ongoing till the end of November 2025, and till then, teams will be struggling to qualify.

1. The USA

Despite not predominantly being a football nation, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has managed to establish a formidable team with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.

The appointment of Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach shows some sign of intent that the country intends to go as far as possible in the World Cup.

Read Also: 10 Footballers Who Retired And Came Back

2. Mexico

Mexico has qualified for every World Cup in the past decade, but playing on home soil will give them the advantage of fan support. While they may be without their veteran goalkeeper Ochoa, who has been crucial in past tournaments, they remain a team not to be underestimated.

Read Also | 5 Craziest Football Transfers of All-time

3. Canada

Canada had a memorable 2022 World Cup in Qatar, highlighted by their surprising win against Belgium. However, they lost their remaining group games to Morocco and Croatia, leading to their early exit from the tournament.

Known for their attacking football, Canada relies on pace in midfield and attack, with Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies being key to their World Cup ambitions.

Teams from the Qualifier Rounds

4. Japan

Japan has become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup from the qualification round. On March 20, Thursday, Hajime Moriyasu's side beat Bahrain 2-0 in Group C of the AFC World Cup qualifiers.

Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to inspire the Samurai Blue to ensure their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, guaranteeing a top-two finish in the qualifiers standings.

🇯🇵 Japan have qualified for #FIFAWorldCup 26!#WeAre26 | @jfa_samuraiblue

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 20, 2025

Japan surprised the world with their impressive run in the 2022 World Cup, before bowing out from the Round of 16 in a narrow penalty shoot-out defeat against eventual third-place finishers Croatia. However, Japan defeated both Germany and Spain in the group stage to march onto the next round.

5. New Zealand

New Zealand has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the third time with a 3-0 home win over New Caledonia in the OFC Qualifiers Final on Monday, March 24.

Three second-half goals from Michael Boxall, Kosta Barbarouses, and Elijah led New Zealand to a comfortable 3-0 win at Eden Park in Auckland. This win marks the All Whites' return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 when they registered three draws against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay in South Africa.

SEE YOU IN ‘26 🇳🇿🏆 pic.twitter.com/PiCofS1bVn

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) March 24, 2025

For the first time, the All Whites qualified directly for a World Cup, as Oceania received an automatic spot in next year’s 48-team tournament, rather than having to go through an intercontinental play-off as they did in the past.

6. Iran

Iran have become the second Asian side to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals following a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan on March 25 in the third round of the AFC World Cup Qualifiers Group A.

Mehdi Taremi's brace secured a point for Iran to stay atop the Group A table with 20 points in 8 matches, securing the guaranteed top two finish in the group stage. On the other hand, Uzbekistan is just one victory away from their inaugural World Cup appearance.

Tino pai to our fantastic national football team🙌
Mean as! Iran has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the third team to qualify after Japan and @NZ_Football
Ka mau te wehi 🇮🇷
This marks our fourth consecutive appearance after 2014,2018,and2022!#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/2RjE9j2gpa

— The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@iranembassy_nz) March 25, 2025

Despite the qualification format being made easier for Asia due to the expanded 48-team World Cup, Iran has sealed the passage to their fourth World Cup finals in a row, and seventh in their history.

In the AFC Qualifiers, the top two teams qualify directly for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups will enter an additional qualifying round.

7. Argentina 

The reigning World Champions have stormed into the FIFA World Cup 2026 following a 4-1 crushing over eternal rivals Brazil in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers on March 26. 

Argentina produced a bolstering performance, beating the Selecaos 4-1, powered by goals from Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Giuliano Simeone. Matheus Cunha netted the only goal for Brazil.

🇦🇷 Argentina have qualified for #FIFAWorldCup 26!#WeAre26

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 25, 2025

La Albiceleste currently top the table with 31 points in 14 matches, 16 points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela, with the required seven points at this point.

8. Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the 8th team to qualify till now. They have qualified in virtue of finishing in the top two in Group A of the AFC's third-round of qualifiers.

Read Also | 7 big footballing nations which can miss the FIFA World Cup 2026

This is the first time they have qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Not only that, they are the first Central Asia country to qualify for the grandest stage of football.

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9. South Korea

South Korea qualified for their 11th straight FIFA World Cup after finishing in the top two of the AFC third round qualifiers. Tottenham's Son Heung-min, Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan, Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in all will be ready to star for South Korea in the upcoming World Cup.

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A post shared by FIFA World Cup (@fifaworldcup)

10. Jordan

While South Korea sealed their spot at the FIFA World Cup with that 2-0 victory over Iraq, their win also ensured that Jordan will be playing at their first-ever FIFA World Cup next year. 

Ali Olwan's hat-trick has given them a big 3-0 win over Oman, and after South Korea's win, they will now create history at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

In Group B of the AFC Third round qualifiers, Jordan lost only one match and finished in the top two of the group, below South Korea.

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A post shared by #AsianCup2027 (@afcasiancup)

11. Australia 

Socceroos confirmed their place at a sixth successive FIFA World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia by 2-1 in Saudi Arabia. Connor Metcalfe (42), Mitch Duke (48) scored for the Aussies to help them win after falling behind by a 19-minute goal from Abdulrahman Al-Aboud.

Australia have now confirmed the top spot in Group C in the AFC Third round qualifiers. Japan are leading Group C, which have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

🇦🇺🦘 Australia at the #FIFAWorldCup. pic.twitter.com/OIg3mrVxTc

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 10, 2025

12. Brazil 

Brazil continued their run at the FIFA World Cup after ensuring qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026. They are the only team to qualify for every FIFA World Cup. 

The Selecao defeated Paraguay by 1-0 as Vinicius Jr. handed a special gift to new Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti for his 66th birthday. 

VINIIII JR.!!!!

TINHAA QUE SER ELE!! BELO PRESENTÃO DE ANIVERSÁRIO PARA O MISTER 🇧🇷🇧🇷

🎥TV GLOBO pic.twitter.com/1JmKVR5d3z

— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) June 11, 2025

13. Ecuador 

Despite Alan Franco's red card, Ecuador managed a brave, strong 0-0 draw against Peru to ensure their qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026. 

With 25 points, they are currently second in the South American qualification, with 25 points, behind Argentina.

¡ESTAMOS EN NUESTRO QUINTO MUNDIAL!

🇺🇸, 🇲🇽 y 🇨🇦; allá vamos pic.twitter.com/9DdkLLG8VX

— La Tri 🇪🇨 (@LaTri) June 11, 2025

14. Paraguay

Paraguay became the 14th team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after their 0-0 draw against Ecuador on 4 September. This will be their first FIFA World Cup qualification since 2010.

PARAGUAY 🇵🇾 ARE GOING TO THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 🏆

They will be playing the FIFA World Cup first time since 2010!

Congratulations, Paraguay! #fifaworldcup #fifaworldcup2026 pic.twitter.com/O8JFE2p9gk— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) September 5, 2025

15. Uruguay 

With their 3-0 win over Peru on September 4, Uruguay reached a fifth successive World Cup. Rodrigo Aguirre, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, and Federico Vinas scored the goals for the South American nation.

16. Colombia

With their 3-0 victory over Bolivia on September 4, Colombia qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after missing out on the previous edition. James Rodriguez became the first Colombian player to score 30 international goals after Falcao (36).

Aquí vamos de nuevo a un mundial.
¡Te amo Colombia 🇨🇴! pic.twitter.com/UnBGhyAerh

— James Rodríguez (@jamesdrodriguez) September 5, 2025

17. Morocco

Morocco became the first African nation to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after their thumping 5-0 victory over Niger. 

With 21 points from seven games, they have earned a place in the showpiece.

18. Tunisia

The Carthage Eagles qualified for their seventh FIFA World Cup as they sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea.  A stoppage-time winner from Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane helped the North African nation to top Group H of the African Qualifiers with 22 points after 8 matches.