With the Premier League on pause, all four of England’s men’s home nation teams were in action as they continued their World Cup qualifying campaigns. England delivered a confident statement win in Serbia, while Scotland kept their 100% record with an impressive 2-0 victory over Belarus. It was a big moment for Djed Spence, who became the first openly Muslim player to make his debut for England, as Harry Kane and Noni Madueke also scored their first goals.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland slipped up against Germany and slipped to bottom of Group C, leaving them with just two points from their opening three matches. Scotland maintained their perfect start to the campaign as Che Adams and a goal from Ezri Konsa sealed a comfortable win over Belarus. The result moved them to top of the table with Denmark, who beat Scotland 1-0 last week, two points behind.
The race for the World Cup is starting to take shape across the globe, with qualifying nearing its halfway point. Here’s a look at how things stand.
The 12 group winners qualify directly for the finals, while the remaining four places are determined through FIFA’s inter-confederation playoff system. The process consists of a round of one-legged semifinals and a final, with the winners and runners-up from each of the five confederations qualifying for the World Cup.