Overview
- Erling Haaland struck in the 78th and 79th minutes as Norway beat Italy 4-1 at San Siro, with Antonio Nusa and Jorgen Strand Larsen also scoring to complete an eight‑wins‑from‑eight campaign and a first World Cup since 1998.
- Italy finished six points behind Norway in Group I and must navigate UEFA’s March playoffs after another qualifying setback following previous playoff exits for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
- Portugal overwhelmed Armenia 9-1 in Porto to win Group F, with hat-tricks from Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves, while suspended Cristiano Ronaldo missed the match and could face an extended FIFA ban.
- England closed qualifying with a 2-0 win over Albania to post a perfect record with 22 goals scored and none conceded, as Harry Kane netted both late goals.
- Ireland secured a playoff berth with Troy Parrott’s hat-trick in a 3-2 win in Hungary, and Ukraine advanced to the playoffs by defeating Iceland 2-0 with two late goals.