Overview
- Germany crushed Slovakia 6:0 in Leipzig to secure a direct berth, highlighted by Assan Ouédraogo’s debut goal and an opener created by captain Joshua Kimmich for scorer Nick Woltemade.
- Netherlands sealed qualification with a 4:0 over Lithuania, while the ultras group Dutch Fanatics boycotted the match in a dispute with the KNVB over a standing section.
- More European places were locked in as Austria, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland and Scotland qualified directly, with reports also confirming Croatia and the Czech Republic through.
- Germany’s youth pipeline kept pushing cases for promotion as Bayern’s 17‑year‑old Lennart Karl scored again in a 2:0 U21 win in Georgia, with Said El Mala providing the key flick-on.
- Off the field, commentary around Karim Adeyemi’s reported legal case over illegal weapons possession cautioned that the situation could affect his national‑team prospects.