Germany v Slovakia, Northern Ireland v Luxembourg, and more: World Cup 2026 qualifying – live

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Group A teams

Germany (4-2-3-1): Baumann; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Raum; Pavlović, Goretzka; Gnabry, Wirtz, Sané; Woltemade. Subs: Schneller, Dahmen, Thiaw, Anton, Brown, Baku, Ouedraogo, Nmecha, Schade, OLeweling, Burkardt, Adeyemi.

Slovakia (4-3-3): Dúbravka; Gyömbér, Skriniar, Obert, Hancko; Bero, Lobotka, Sauer; Duris, Strelec, Duda. Subs: Pekarík, Schranz, Satka, Hrosovsky, Vavro, Haraslin, Benes, Rodák, Takac, Boženík, Bobcek, Rigo.

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Northern Ireland (3-5-2): Hazard, Brown, McNair, McConville; Bradley, Lewis, Galbraith, Lyons, McDonnell; Donley, Price. Subs: Clarke, Southwood, Toal, Johnson, Devlin, Devenny, McCausland, Kelly, Marshall, Charles, Smyth, Magennis.

Luxembourg (4-3-3): Moris; Jans, Carlson, Korac, Martins M; Barreiro, Olesen, Martins C; Dardari, Thill, Sinani. Subs: Pereira, Fox, Veiga, Selimovic, Dzogovic, Mustafic, Moreira, Thill, Embaló, Curci, Avdusinovic, Muratovic.

Let’s have a look at some teams…

Preamble

As we well know, these days World Cup qualifiers are designed to deprive us of the good stuff: heartbreak, horror, devastation, desolation, regret, pain, agony, embarrassment, humiliation and so on. Sadly, the best we can do tonight is irritating inconvenience, but in these straitened times, we’ll absolutely take it.

Our major intrigue comes in Group A, where Germany take on Slovakia in Leipzig. The two sides are level on points and confirmed as the top two finishers with Julian Nagelsmann’s mannschaft, ahead on goal difference, needing to avoid defeat to ensure automatic qualification. If they are beaten, they will move into the playoffs with the visitors advancing – and we’ll also have a quarter of an an eye on Northern Ireland, into the playoffs via the Nations League, against Luxembourg.

In Amsterdam, meanwhile, the Netherlands – top of Group G – must avoid defeat to Lithuania, or see Poland fail to beat Malta, to take the automatic qualifying spot. If they lose and Poland win, Jan Urban’s men go straight into the finals ... provided there’s a goal difference swing of 13.

And finally to Group L, which offers no misery for our delectation. Croatia, whose meeting with Montenegro might still be spicy, are qualified in first place; Czechia, who entertain Gibraltar, are cemented in second. But with the big thing not too far away, anything we can learn now stands us in good stead for then.

Kick-offs: 7.45pm GMT