Overview
- Egypt beat Djibouti 3–0 to win its CAF group and secure a World Cup berth, with Mohamed Salah on the scoresheet.
- Croatia’s 0–0 against the Czech Republic trims its FIFA points, improving Germany’s prospects of cracking the top nine.
- Germany, drawn with Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg, plays Luxembourg on Oct. 10 and Northern Ireland on Oct. 13 to boost its ranking before the late‑November cutoff.
- The Dec. 5 draw in Washington seeds the three hosts and the top nine in the FIFA rankings, making Germany’s October results especially consequential.
- FIFA’s expanded 48‑team field includes fixed continental slots and two intercontinental play‑off places, while in Germany the DFB team’s qualifiers air on ARD, ZDF or RTL, with DAZN carrying other internationals.