Spain Cruises Past Georgia, on Brink of World Cup Berth as Belgium's Qualification Hopes Fizzle
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Spain edged closer to securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup after a convincing 4-0 win over Georgia in World Cup qualifying. The European champions, led by Mikel Oyarzabal's two goals and an assist, have now scored 19 times while conceding zero goals in five group victories. Luis de la Fuente's side is poised to wrap up a spot in the finals when it meets Turkey on Tuesday in its last qualifier. Spain leads Group E by three points over Turkey, which beat Bulgaria 2-0 on Saturday. However, Turkey would need to win in Seville by a significant margin to pip Spain for the top spot, and even then, a tiebreaker would be decided by goal difference. Meanwhile, Belgium's World Cup qualification hopes took a hit as they were held to a 1-1 draw in Kazakhstan. The draw means Belgium, which had been leading Group J, now trails North Macedonia by two points. Rudi Garcia's side can still advance with a win over Liechtenstein on Tuesday in their final qualifier. In other results, Wales won 1-0 at Liechtenstein with Jordan James scoring the only goal, while Jordan's win, combined with North Macedonia's 2-0 win over Bulgaria, left Wales and North Macedonia tied on 13 points in joint second place before they face-off on Tuesday. The 12 group winners from European qualification will directly qualify for the World Cup, while the continent's remaining four berths will be decided by a playoff of the dozen runners-up. For now, Spain remains on course to secure its spot in the tournament, while Belgium's qualification hopes hang in the balance.
