The tournament might not kick-off for the best part of two years, but the extended international break offered some early clues as to how the challengers are shaping up
Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Sergej Barbarez has confirmed that legendary striker Edin Dzeko is set to leave the national team camp early following his international retirement. The Dragons are preparing for a crucial Nations League fixture against Poland, but they will have to navigate the challenge without their greatest-ever goalscorer.
Viktor Gyokeres continues to prove why he is one of the most feared strikers in Europe after inspiring Sweden to a convincing 3-1 victory over Poland. Despite being targeted by physical defending that left him with significant battle scars, the Arsenal man remained the focal point of Graham Potter's perfect start to the Nations League campaign.
Four nations made debuts at the 2026 World Cup, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan gracing the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It was the tournament with the most newcomers since 2006 and Cape Verde achieved the feat of ending a 16-year wait for a debutant to reach the knockout stages, before succumbing to Lionel Messi's Argentina in a classic.
We are now just hours away from the start of the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with all 48 teams having made their way to North America with dreams of glory driving them. All of the pre-qualifying favourites made it safely through, including Spain, Brazil, England, France and defending champions Argentina.
Robert Lewandowski is said to have been left deeply affected following the tragic and sudden death of Poland assistant coach Jacek Magiera. The Barcelona striker, who remained on the bench during Saturday's 4-1 derby win over Espanyol, took to social media to pay a heartfelt tribute to his long-time colleague and friend. The 49-year-old tragically died after falling ill while jogging.
Dejan Kulusevski has issued a defiant blast to his international rivals as he enters the final stages of a gruelling rehabilitation process. The Tottenham winger has not featured since May 2025 after suffering a right kneecap injury, but even with his World Cup participation hanging in the balance, he is refusing to lower his expectations for Sweden’s summer campaign.
Robert Lewandowski’s illustrious international career could be nearing a sudden conclusion after Poland suffered a devastating defeat to Sweden in their 2026 World Cup playoff final. The veteran Barcelona striker was seen in tears on the pitch following the narrow loss, which officially ended the nation's hopes of qualifying for the global tournament held in North America.
Robert Lewandowski’s dreams of a final World Cup appearance were cruelly extinguished as Poland suffered a dramatic play-off defeat to Sweden in Stockholm. Despite a resilient performance from Jan Urban’s side, a late strike from Viktor Gyokeres secured Sweden's place in this summer's global showpiece, leaving 37-year-old Barcelona striker Lewandowski visibly devastated at the final whistle.
Poland lost only one of their eight 2026 World Cup qualifiers at the group stage. Albania scored just seven goals in their eight qualifying matches, as well.
The final international window before the end of the 2025-26 club season is here. For most of the globe's traditional powerhouses, this month is about finetuning ahead of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. But not every team has the luxury of such forward planning, with several big-hitters still yet to punch their ticket to the tournament.
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Poland
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