A summary of Saturday's action in the FIFA World Cup 2026 UEFA Qualifiers.
In-form striker Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice as Spain thrashed Georgia 4-0 away on Saturday to set a national record and all but guarantee their place in next year's World Cup finals.
Spain's romp in Tbilisi, in which Martin Zubimendi and Ferran Torres also scored, put them on a maximum 15 points from five Group E games with 19 goals scored and none conceded.
Second-placed Turkey, who beat Bulgaria 2-0 on Saturday, would have to beat Spain 7-0 in Seville on Tuesday to finish as group winners and take the automatic qualification spot.
Luis de la Fuente's side are now unbeaten in 30 games stretching back to March 2023 -- beating the record of 29 they shared with Vicente del Bosque's golden generation whose streak came between 2010 and 2013.
"A complete performance, we leave with a good feeling. We did a really good job as a team," Ferran said. "It's not mathematically certain yet, but we're focused on the last match; we're going to play to qualify. It's in our own hands."
Spain started without the likes of Daniel Carvajal, Pedri, Rodri and Lamine Yamal, but it made no difference as they outclassed a subdued Georgia side.
Oyarzabal marked his 50th cap by opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the 11th minute.
Alex Baena was denied by the base of the post soon afterwards but the European champions doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when Fabian Ruiz's slick pass set up Arsenal midfielder Zubimendi for a cool finish.
It was all too easy for Spain and they cut through Georgia again in the 35th minute as Oyarzabal was played in by Baena before squaring for Torres to tap home.
Oyarzabal scored his eighth goal in his last eight appearances for Spain in the 63rd minute, guiding in a header from a deft cross by Torres.
Defeat erased any hope Georgia had of a playoff place.
Swiss almost through after easy win over Sweden
Switzerland secured a 4-1 victory over Sweden that all but sealed their spot at next year's World Cup, leaving them top of the group with a considerable goal difference advantage over second-placed Kosovo.
The Swiss top Group B on 13 points, three ahead of Kosovo, who beat Slovenia 2-0 away. They host the Swiss in their final qualifier on Tuesday, but with Switzerland boasting a goal difference of 12 compared to Kosovo's one, they will likely have to be content with the runners-up spot in the group.
The Swiss got off to a flying start when Breel Embolo opened the scoring with a superb first-time finish in the 13th minute. However, in the 33rd minute Benjamin Nygren equalised for the Swedes, who put in a strong finish to their first half of football under new coach Graham Potter.
Roared on by the home crowd, Switzerland took the lead again on the hour mark as Sweden goalkeeper Viktor Johansson was penalised for tripping Embolo in the box as he tried to deal with an under-hit back-pass, and Granit Xhaka stroked home the resulting spot kick.
That tipped the scales back in favour of the hosts and they sealed the three points in the 75th minute when Dan Ndoye took a touch before firing the ball past Johansson to make it 3-1. Substitute Johan Manzambi added a fourth in stoppage time.
The Swedes, who sacked coach Jon Dahl Tomasson after a disappointing campaign that has left them bottom of the group with one point, will still have a chance to qualify for the 2026 tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico through a playoff spot secured in the Nations League.
Kazakh keeper Anarbekov makes Belgium wait for World Cup qualification
Kazakhstan goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov made a series of stunning saves to deny Belgium the opportunity to clinch World Cup qualification as they drew 1-1 in their Group J clash at the Astana Arena.
Belgium are still heavily fancied to win the group and book a berth at next year’s tournament when they finish their qualifying campaign at home to Liechtenstein on Tuesday.
The draw left them two points clear of second-placed North Macedonia.
Belgium had to come from behind after Kazakhstan, who were down to 10 men for the last 11 minutes, scored early through 17-year-old Dastan Satpayev before Hans Vanaken equalised early in the second half.
Kazakhstan stunned the Belgians with the ninth-minute goal from Satpayev, who became the youngest scorer for his country’s national team.
A sloppy pass from Arthur Theate allowed the teenager to bear down on the Belgian goal and shoot into a gap goalkeeper Matz Sels left at his near post.
That was followed by sustained Belgian pressure and a series of excellent saves from Anarbekov, who denied Vanaken, Leandro Trossard and Charles De Ketelaere in the first half.
Three minutes into the second half, captain Vanaken stole in between the home defence to easily head home from Timothy Castagne’s cross and level the scores, with the goalkeeper having no chance to save it.
Jeremy Doku’s teasing dribbling on the left set up another chance for Vanaken but Anarbekov stretched out to block the effort.
The 22-year-old goalkeeper came to the rescue again in the 61st minute as the ball ricocheted around the penalty area before hitting Nuraly Alip and looked like being an own goal before being bundled away by the keeper.
Kazakhstan were down to 10 men when Islam Chesnokov was dismissed for a trip from behind on Doku. Initially he was shown a yellow card but after a review Lithuanian referee Donatas Rumsas upgraded it to red.
Belgium thought they had won the game, and secured World Cup qualification, in the last minute when Nicolas Raskin had a chance in front of goal but Anarbekov pulled off another point-blank save to deny him.
Scotland lose to Greece, but handed a lifeline by Danes
Scotland are one home win away from securing a place in next year's World Cup despite suffering a 3-2 defeat by Greece, as Denmark's 2-2 draw with Belarus in the other Group C game offered a lifeline and set up a blockbuster clash with the Danes on Tuesday.
Denmark top the group with 11 points after five games. Scotland, who could not find an equaliser even though they clawed back from three goals down, are second with 10 points after suffering their first defeat of the campaign.
While a first-place finish clinches an automatic spot in next year's finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada, Saturday's result guaranteed Scotland at least a qualifying playoff spot.
Already-eliminated Greece looked poised to hand their visitors a thorough thrashing with goals from Tasos Bakasetas, Konstantinos Karetsas and Christos Tzolis, but Scotland's Ben Gannon-Doak and Ryan Christie pulled goals back to set up a breathtaking final few minutes.
After the final whistle blew, the Scottish players and staff peered at their phones for updates from the Belarus-Denmark match during an agonising final few minutes.
Bakasetas scored in the seventh minute in a nightmare start for Scotland. John Souttar misjudged a ball allowing Vangelis Pavlidis to take a shot that Craig Gordon saved, but Bakasetas was there to fire home the rebound.
Karetsas added a second goal in the 57th minute, and Tzolis fired in a third in the 63rd -- and it seemed like the rout was on.
But Gannon-Doak breathed some hope into Steve Clarke's side in the 65th minute when John McGinn sent in a low cross that the 20-year-old finished from close range for his first Scotland goal.
Christie added a second five minutes later when he nodded home Andy Robertson's gorgeous cross from the left.
Scotland's "Tartan Army" fans in Athens also had their eyes on the other Group C game, and erupted into cheers when Belarus scored.
Scott McTominay was one of several Scottish players who squandered excellent chances. He fired a shot off the crossbar in the first half, and had a brilliant shot stopped by the lunging foot of Odysseas Vlachodimos late in the game.
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