Nigeria, Italy ... England? Big names may struggle to reach the World Cup

Some big names in Europe and Africa face a nervy run-in, while Asia and the Americas have gone as expected

England's Harry Kane acknowledges the crowd at the final whistle after the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Andorra

It’s been telling how much of the coverage around England recently has focused on how they must improve before the World Cup finals next summer. It’s true, of course: they’ve been in the final of the last two Euros, played well in getting to the quarter-final of the last World Cup and have a fleet of extremely gifted players but have not really impressed since beating Greece in the Nations League under Lee Carsley last November.

What’s never considered, though, is the thought that they may not get to the 2026 World Cup at all.