The final round of World Cup qualification fixtures took place on Tuesday night, completing the draw for this summer's expanded tournament. For the first time, 48 teams will compete in 12 groups, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
England had already secured their place with a perfect qualifying campaign and were placed in Group L alongside Panama, Ghana, and Croatia. They used the international break for friendlies, drawing 1-1 with Uruguay and losing 1-0 to Japan.
The last six spots were decided on Tuesday. Sweden edged Poland 3-2 thanks to a late Viktor Gyokeres goal, Turkiye beat Kosovo 1-0, and Czechia defeated Denmark on penalties. DR Congo beat Jamaica 1-0 after extra time, with Axel Tuanzebe scoring, while Iraq beat Bolivia 2-1.
Italy's failure to qualify continued as they lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties, extending their curse of missing consecutive World Cups.
