European Qualifiers Heat Up: France Books Spot, Norway One Foot in 2026 World Cup

France secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup. Les Bleus showed no mercy at the Parc des Princes by thrashing Ukraine 4-0 in their UEFA Group D 2026 World Cup Qualifier. Norway also achieved an important victory, hammering Estonia 4-1 in Oslo.

With such sharp performance, France seemed to send another strong message: they are ready to hunt for the next world title.

Two goals from Kylian Mbappé drove the victory for Didier Deschamps' side, supplemented by contributions from Michael Olise and Hugo Ekitike completing the goal fest. 

With 13 points from five matches, France leads Group D and has secured an automatic ticket to the final round. They can now focus on building consistency towards 2026.

Meanwhile, Ukraine must settle for third place with seven points. Their hopes remain alive, as the opportunity to reach the 2026 World Cup through the play-off path is still open. The requirement is they must win against Iceland in their final match.

The course of the match showed France was truly on a different level. Mbappé started the French party with a 55th-minute penalty after Michael Olise was brought down in the box. Afterwards, France became increasingly offensive, pressing the Ukrainian defense.

France doubled their lead through Olise's action in the 76th minute, receiving a precise pass from N’Golo Kanté. Not long after, Mbappé scored his second goal from a rebound before Ekitike closed the match with an 88th-minute strike. 

The 4-0 scoreline held until the end, cementing Les Bleus' superiority.

Norway Thrashes Estonia

In Group I, Norway was another major story. Stale Solbakken's squad defeated Estonia 4-1 in Oslo. This victory puts them just one step away from the 2026 World Cup. With 21 points from seven matches, Norway tops the standings and is in an ideal position before the decisive duel.

Norway could secure automatic qualification sooner if Italy fails to beat Moldova. However, if Italy wins, Haaland and his teammates only need a draw in their direct meeting against Gli Azzurri in the final group match. 

Alexander Sørloth opened the goal fest with two quick headers in the 50th and 52nd minutes, capitalizing on measured crosses from Sander Berge and Julian Ryerson. 

Estonia conceded again four minutes later through an Erling Haaland header, a goal that demonstrated Norway's aerial effectiveness.

Haaland added another goal in the 62nd minute after maximizing a pass from David Møller Wolfe, ensuring Norway led by four goals before Estonia pulled one back through Robi Saarma. 

Despite Estonia's attempts to rally, Norway remained in control of the match with 64% possession and 19 shots.