Key events
Which countries have qualified for the World Cup – and how did they do it?
Andy Martin takes a look:
Australia and Cameroon have just kicked off in a friendly encounter in Sydney.
Martin Pegan has the latest here:
Ewan Murray
Game seven of Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy tenure eventually delivered comfort. In number eight, he will look to end the painful wait of a nation by returning his country to the World Cup for the first time since 2014. Northern Ireland’s future, a bright one with this young squad, means looking towards Euro 2028. This was a campaign too soon.
Andy Hunter
A familiar tale of World Cup playoff agony awaited the Republic of Ireland in Prague, but this was no hard luck story. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s team twice had the Czech Republic where they wanted them, in normal time and in a penalty shootout, and twice they let them off the hook. Dreams of a first World Cup in 24 years evaporated as a consequence.
Ben Fisher
Two years to the day since penalty shootout heartbreak against Poland, more agony from 12 yards for Wales, this time to deny them a shot at reaching this summer’s World Cup. Bosnia and Herzegovina prevailed 4-2 on spot-kicks after a typically absorbing night in the Welsh capital, one that went the distance, more than 133 minutes passed before Brennan Johnson spooned over and Neco Williams saw his penalty saved by Nikola Vasilj.
Preamble
The morning after. Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all fell in the World Cup playoffs last night, so there will be plenty of analysis and reaction to get through.
England host Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay in a friendly at Wembley this evening, and there are plenty of other interesting friendlies, including the Netherlands v Norway and Spain v Serbia.
The Women’s Super League is also back after the midweek action in the Champions League, with three matches each on Saturday and Sunday.
Fixtures are here, results are here, and my email is here if you’re a Wales, Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland fan and you feel the need to vent.