#world-cup-qualifiers

#world-cup-qualifiers

The national team will depart at the end of the week to Mexico via a private plane. [Fifa president Gianni] Infantino directed [Fifa secretary general] Mattias Grafstrom... to follow up and help overcome all difficulties to facilitate the departure of our national team to Mexico.

Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley has confirmed he has undergone successful surgery on the knee injury that has ruled him out for the remainder of the season. The 22-year-old was forced off during Liverpool's 0-0 Premier League draw away to Arsenal last week and will not feature again this campaign. Bradley confirmed the operation in a post on Instagram, sharing an image of himself being carried off the pitch on a stretcher at the Emirates Stadium.

While England winning 2-0 generated nothing much more than a shrug around the football world, another qualifier ending in that same scoreline raised lots of eyebrows. Fantastic stuff from the Irish as two goals from Troy Parrott secured a famous win in Dublin and kept their playoff hopes alive. And just for extra craic for the home fans filing out of the Aviva, Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off!

"If you look at my career before [I played for] Northern Ireland I didn't score many goals at all," Price told BBC Sport NI. "I had 18 months or so where I only scored one goal and I probably played a little bit deeper and probably didn't believe that I had the goals in me. "Michael told me he thought I'm an attacking threat, I should get in the box and then I had 12 months where the ball wouldn't stop going into the net. "I think it's the freedom that the manager gives me. I'm in a position where I'm always in and around the box and I get a lot of chances."

Trevoh Chalobah is set to join up with the England squad to replace injured Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. The 26-year-old Chelsea defender is due to link up with the squad for England's final World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Serbia, but it has yet to be officially announced. The Three Lions have already qualified for next summer's tournament. Chalobah earned his first call-up under England manager Thomas Tuchel in May and then made his debut against Senegal.

Gattuso hinted that the player is dealing with problems' when asked about the Italian's decision to snub the Italy call-up. He said (via Daily Mail): I often talk to him. We have to respect the decisions and problems that each of us has. We know well what we tell each other, and I must respect what the player tells me. I can't say anything else.

Yeah, absolutely. That's the manager's call. I just go there and be the best that I can be and see what happens. I can just be myself, do what I normally do, train as well as I possibly can. It's an unfortunate situation that we're in at the moment where there's not many goalkeepers playing first-team football.

Kante, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, has not appeared for France since November 2024, in a 0-0 draw with Israel in the Nations League. It is not the 34-year-old's first long lay-off, having been absent from the squad for two years prior to returning for Euro 2024, when he helped the team to the semi-finals. And he is joined in the squad by Kolo Muani, who has missed the last two camps,

He scores goals, he works hard, he's having a purple patch and he's put himself in a position where Thomas Tuchel will definitely have to look at him," Rooney said on the latest episode of his podcast The Wayne Rooney Show.

It's awful. Embarrassing. Disappointing, yet again. Everything is too bad. We're playing too badly. The way we're playing doesn't work. We're doing it too badly individually too. It's a combination of everything. It's sad that we're in this situation. It's a bit of a crisis situation. That's clear.

From next year, FIFA will alter the international match calendar, doing away with the existing two-week international breaks in both September and October. Instead those two breaks will be rolled into one compact three-week break that will take place across those two months. The new regular international match schedule will consist of three standard nine-day (i.e. two-match) breaks in March, June and November as well as a new, expanded 16-day break beginning in late September and running into early October.

Norway, along with European champions Spain, are one of the best two teams on the continent. That is the view of Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon, whose team were torn apart by Erling Haaland and company in a 5-0 World Cup qualifying defeat in Oslo on Saturday. Norway have not played at a major tournament since Euro 2000, but they are realistically just three points from confirming qualification for next year's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

A tiny break from club football begins with international break, as Germany continues to defend its position in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Facing Luxembourg in Sinsheim, for the first time since 2006, the hosts were touted to have an easy game and so they did. A handball saw Dirk Carlson from Luxembourg sent off with a red. Playing with ten men did not help their cause as they suffered a 4-0 defeat despite resorting to a highly defensive style.

Barcelona's Dani Olmo will miss Spain's World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria with a calf problem, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed Friday. Olmo, 27, will return to Barcelona for tests to determine the severity of the injury. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Olmo had joined up with Spain earlier this week with fatigue and some discomfort in his calf.

"He can play in several positions. You can see that at Aston Villa," Koeman said of Malen. "Of course, he can do it not only as a substitute, but also as a starting force. "But there is competition for the positions in which Donyell plays."

Kevin Diks put Indonesia ahead from the spot in the 11th minute on Wednesday, but Saleh Abu Al-Shamat levelled six minutes later before Al-Brikan scored either side of half-time to secure the points despite a second Diks penalty two minutes from time. Saudi Arabia next face Iraq in Jeddah on Tuesday and know that a win over Graham Arnold's side will guarantee their place in December's draw for the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Gennaro Gattuso has suggested he's willing to adapt his tactics as Italy prepare for their World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Israel, insisting he's ready to "put my ego aside" if a change in formation is what the Azzurri needs. Gattuso, who took over from Luciano Spalletti in June, has posted a 100% record so far, with two victories against Israel and Estonia last month.

In a massive boost for Liverpool, who welcome Manchester United to Anfield after the international break, Konate joined up with the French national team on Monday at Clairefontaine, where he was scheduled to undergo further tests. Meanwhile, amid reports the defender's injury is not a major concern ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland, head coach Didier Deschamps has revealed all 23-man selected are fit.

Luca Zidane, the son of France legend Zinedine, has been called up by Algeria for their forthcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Somalia and Uganda. Born in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence, the goalkeeper appeared for France at various youth levels but recently switched his international allegiance to Algeria. The 27-year-old is one of three goalkeepers named in Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic's 26-man squad for the matches on 9 and 14 October.

Heimir Hallgrimsson says he opted to stay loyal to the Ireland players who flopped so badly in the last game of the World Cup qualifiers in Armenia to give them a chance to redeem themselves in the double header away to Portugal and at home to Armenia.