Big surprise in European World Cup qualifiers

Group J of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe witnessed the strong rise of North Macedonia.

North Macedonia team (right) before the opportunity to attend the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Reuters .

In the early morning of October 11, North Macedonia held Belgium, considered the strongest team in the group, to a 0-0 draw away from home. The team's uncomfortably crowded defense made Kevin De Bruyne and his teammates powerless to find a way into the goal.

The draw helped North Macedonia maintain their top position in Group J with 12 points, 1 and 2 points more than the two teams behind them, Belgium and Wales, respectively.

North Macedonia has been the biggest surprise in the European qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. They have not lost a single match in six matches. They have won three, drawn three, scored 11 goals and conceded just two.

North Macedonia have two more games to play against Kazakhstan and Wales to close out their qualifying campaign. However, North Macedonia have played one more game than their rivals Belgium and Wales. This creates an unpredictable scenario for the rest of the qualifying campaign.

According to the rules, the group winners will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, the runners-up will play in the play-offs. Therefore, North Macedonia has the opportunity to make history.

North Macedonia has never played in a World Cup. In 2020, the country surprised everyone by qualifying for the Euro finals, although it was eliminated in the group stage. This was also the country's only major tournament since declaring independence.

Group J of the European qualifiers promises many surprises and drama until the last minute.

Guardiola's 'million-view' shot At the Icons Series event - a golf tournament that brought together many sports legends, Pep Guardiola performed a spectacular chip-in, likened to a "slam dunk" in basketball. The clip took social media by storm, attracting nearly 5 million views in a short time.

Source: https://znews.vn/bat-ngo-lon-o-vong-loai-world-cup-chau-au-post1592748.html