Germany is ranked 9th while Slovakia is 52nd in the FIFA world rankings. However, this disparity wasn't evident on the pitch at Tehelne pole on 4/9. Slovakia had 30% possession and 8 shots with 5 on target, compared to Germany's 14 shots with 4 on target.

Florian Wirtz expresses disappointment after Germany's 2-0 loss to Slovakia in the UEFA 2026 World Cup qualifier in Bratislava, Slovakia on 4/9/2025. Photo: AP

Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka was in excellent form, denying several chances from Florian Wirtz and Leon Goretzka. Slovakia's attack also proved clinical, with David Hancko opening the scoring in the 42nd minute before David Strelec sealed the 2-0 victory in the second half.

The defeat marked Germany's first away loss in a World Cup qualifier, ending a 52-match unbeaten run. They also set an unwanted record with three consecutive defeats in official matches, something that hadn't happened in their 117-year history. During the FIFA Days in June, Julian Nagelsmann's team lost 2-1 to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League semi-final and then 2-0 to France in the third-place play-off.

In the other Group A match, Northern Ireland won 3-1 away against Luxembourg. Northern Ireland and Slovakia are now tied at the top of the group with three points each, while Germany and Luxembourg have yet to earn any points. In the next round of matches on 7/9, Germany will host Northern Ireland while Slovakia will play against Luxembourg.

Lamine Yamal (left) celebrates with Mikel Merino during Spain's 3-0 win over Bulgaria in Sofia, Bulgaria on 4/9. Photo: AP

In Group E, Spain triumphed with a 3-0 victory over Bulgaria thanks to goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella, and Mikel Merino. Under Luis de la Fuente, Spain is unbeaten in its last 21 matches (16 wins, 5 draws), surpassing Julen Lopetegui's 20-match streak in 2018 (14 wins, 6 draws). This is the team's best run since Vicente del Bosque's 26-match unbeaten streak from 2011 to 2013 (20 wins, 6 draws).

In the other Group E match, Turkey beat Georgia 3-2. In the next round, Spain will visit Turkey, while Georgia will face Bulgaria.

Kevin de Bruyne celebrates with teammates during Belgium's 6-0 win over Liechtenstein at Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein on 4/9. Photo: Reuters

In Group J, Belgium crushed host nation Liechtenstein 6-0, with goals from Maxim De Cuyper, Arthur Theate, Kevin De Bruyne, Malick Martin Fofana, and a brace from Youri Tielemans. Group J consists of five teams, with Belgium currently in third place with 7 points, trailing North Macedonia (8 points) and Wales (10 points).

The UEFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers are divided into two stages. In the group stage, 55 teams are split into 12 groups: six groups of four teams and six groups of five. Teams play each other home and away. The winner of each group qualifies directly for the 2026 World Cup.

Sixteen teams then compete for the remaining spots in the play-offs. These teams include the 12 group runners-up and the four best-performing teams from the Nations League who did not finish in the top two of their qualifying group.

The play-offs are divided into four paths. Each path consists of two single-leg matches: a semi-final and a final. In the semi-finals, the seeded team plays at home, while the venue for the final is determined by a draw. The four winners of the four paths qualify for the World Cup, bringing the total number of European representatives to 16.

Hong Duy