France, Spain, and Portugal are vying for direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while Italy faces a difficult task as its fate is no longer in its own hands.
France, runners-up in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, host Ukraine at the Parc des Princes in a Group D match, aiming for the three points needed to secure qualification.
The French national team, champions in 1998 and 2018, currently lead the group with 10 points, three ahead of Ukraine, with two matches remaining.
However, if Didier Deschamps' men fail to win, they will still have a chance of direct qualification when they travel to Azerbaijan on Sunday.
Deschamps has recalled veteran midfielder N'Golo Kanté (34), who plays in the Saudi Professional League for Al-Ittihad, and he could make his first international appearance in a year.
Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé, winner of the Ballon d'Or for the world's best player, is the most notable absentee from the French national team.
The 57-year-old coach will also be without Tottenham Hotspur striker Randall Kolo Moani, whom he called up but who was later forced to leave the camp due to a broken jaw.
- Spain without Djamel -
Spain, leading Group E with a perfect record of 12 points from four matches, has a chance to secure qualification if they win or draw against Georgia, provided second-placed Turkey (9 points) fails to defeat already-eliminated Bulgaria.
La Roja travels to Tbilisi to face Georgia on Saturday before hosting Turkey three days later in Seville.
However, La Roja received a blow with the news that Barcelona star Lamine Djamel will miss both the Georgia and Turkey matches, according to the Spanish Football Federation, which also expressed its displeasure at the delay in being informed of the 18-year-old's withdrawal.
The local federation announced that Jamal underwent radiofrequency surgery to treat groin pain on the morning of the European champions' training camp, without informing the national team's medical staff beforehand.
It indicated that Jamal needed to rest for seven to ten days, and therefore, it decided to release him from the squad, in line with its policy of "always prioritizing the player's health, safety, and well-being."
The 18-year-old had previously missed the last international window due to groin pain, but this did not prevent the team from defeating Georgia (2-0) and Bulgaria (4-0).
- Portugal relies on the 40-year-old -
A victory for Portugal, the Group F leaders, against Ireland in Dublin on Thursday would guarantee them direct qualification for the World Cup.
The Portuguese national team is relying on its veteran star, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is looking to add to his five goals scored during the qualifiers.
Spain's coach, Roberto Martinez, praised 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, emphasizing that he remains "a role model for the team, having played in more than 200 international matches."
Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes is sidelined with a sprained left knee, prompting Martinez to declare at a press conference, "There is no player who can replace Nuno Mendes. He is perhaps the best in the world right now."
Portugal will host Armenia in Porto in three days in a match that could be inconsequential if qualification is already secured.
- "Maximum commitment" -
Italy, whose fate is uncertain, finds itself in a difficult position, sitting second in Group I, three points behind leaders Norway (18 to 15).
Norway will qualify for the finals for the first time since 1998 if they defeat Estonia and Italy fail to beat Moldova on Thursday.
Italy hosts Norway at the San Siro on Sunday in the final match of the eighth round, with the visitors holding the advantage. Even if Erling Haaland and his teammates lose, Italy will still advance thanks to their superior goal difference (+26 compared to Italy's +10).
Another possible scenario involves Norway dropping points with a loss or draw against Estonia (currently fourth with 7 points), while Italy wins their final two matches.
Italian coach Gennaro Gattuso expects his players to show "maximum commitment" in the last two rounds, even though their fate is not entirely in their own hands.
"It won't be an easy test," the former AC Milan midfielder told a press conference. "I want to see maximum commitment to continue what we started in September." He added, "Against Moldova, we will try out players who haven't played much, but we have to focus on ourselves, not on what Norway does."
The Italians fear a repeat of the nightmare of the last two World Cups, which they missed after failing to qualify through the playoffs.
Since taking over from Luciano Spalletti, who was sacked after the 3-0 defeat to Norway in Oslo in early June, Gattuso has revitalized the team, leading them to four consecutive victories and scoring 16 goals.
Switzerland (Group B), the Netherlands (Group G), Austria (Group H), Belgium (Group J), and Croatia (Group L) could all qualify before the final round of matches, while Germany (Group A) must wait until after their matches against Luxembourg on Thursday and Slovakia three days later to determine their fate.
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