"European football turns its focus for the next week to qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the run-in for the nations intensifying dramatically ahead of the global event. Qualifying on the continent will now start a six-game, 11-week sprint from Thursday to advance to the tournament being played in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at why this is the opening game of this stage for hosts Bulgaria and 2010 champions Spain."
"Since the introduction of that tournament in Europe, teams that have progressed to that latter stages of that competition only join the World Cup qualifiers at a later stage. Portugal were crowned champions as they beat Spain 5-3 on penalties in the 2025 final in June. Spain had overcome France in the semifinal, while Portugal beat Germany. The rest of the qualifiers for the latter stages of that tournament are also only entering the World Cup qualifiers now."
Spain visits Bulgaria in the opening Group E UEFA qualifier for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia on Thursday, August 4 at 21:45 local (18:45 GMT). Al Jazeera Sport will provide build-up from 18:45 GMT before live text commentary. European qualifying begins a six-game, 11-week sprint to determine places at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Teams that advanced deep into the UEFA Nations League join qualifiers later; Portugal won the 2025 Nations League final on penalties over Spain. Group E includes Turkiye and Georgia.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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