With Premier League action on a pause for September’s international break, a number of Arsenal’s players were in action with their national teams. England impressed in Serbia, while Scotland and Northern Ireland played crucial group games. Elsewhere, Leo Campana helped Ecuador secure a World Cup spot in 2026.
Unlike other tournaments where qualification is based on a single round of matches, the World Cup qualifiers have a complex structure with many different stages. Generally speaking, the top team from each group automatically qualifies for the finals. The runners-up go through to inter-confederation play-offs.
The first stage of qualifying is the pre-eliminary round, where the lowest-ranked nations battle it out in two-legged ties to determine the 14 teams that advance. This year, the worst-ranked nation was Ethiopia, followed by Liberia and Djibouti.
In the next phase, those nations are split into groups of six teams where each side faces everyone else twice. Matches began in September and the top six finishers qualify for the final tournament. Runners-up will face each other in a two-legged play-off to decide the last place.
In a change from previous rounds, the best four second-placed teams will compete in one-legged semi-finals and a final to determine the winner of the third World Cup qualifier place. Those matches will be held in November 2025, with the winner taking the final two World Cup berths.