For the home teams at least, its pretty much decided. With one match left to play tonight in each European group only the fate of England come next summer is secure. They sit six points of clear of current play-off place-holders Ukraine, who could be dispossessed by third place Croatia (a team who had a shockingly excellent run in the Euros last year) who have a much superior goal difference. Ukraine, however, must only travel away to Andorra, a team who have yet to win any points, to go through the motions and keep the play-off spot.

Scotland are out having been beaten to second place in Group 9 (a group which was only ever going to be a fight for second place having included Holland) by Norway on goal difference. Their manager Burley, who sacked two of their best players (the captain and their first goal keeper) at a crucial juncture in the qualification campaign for making rude gestures behind his back has refused to step down, despite maintaining Scotland’s international team as nothing more than an “almost” story.



Wales had a brave run in a group which included Russia and Germany, but were out weeks ago. Northern Ireland have only themselves to blame, a string of off-form matches meaning that their chance of a play-off spot was riding on Slovenia dropping points away to bottom placed San Marino, a team who are bottom in the European rankings and only one off the bottom of Fifa’s world rankings.






After a match between teams at the top of Group 8 which looked sure to shake things up and allow the Republic of Ireland to have a pop at first place and automatic qualification, Italy are secure at the top. A blistering all-out, no-holds barred last ten minutes in Dublin saw RoI go 2-1 up, only for a last minute goal from Gilardino to cement the Irish in second place. This is not bad, of course, when England haven’t been perfect in a group which should have been a walk in the park for them, and Ireland came so close to displacing the world champions from the top. A match in the World Cup then, although a long way away, between these two home teams could be an interesting tale. Any team which meets RoI in the play off will surely be the underdogs.

Elsewhere in the world the USA have qualified top of the table in the North Americas, one point ahead of second place Mexico, also through. Costa Rica and Honduras are fighting it out for third place, with matches away to USA and Honduras deciding it tonight. Whichever team will come fourth must put their hopes in the play off against fifth place in the South American group, a match which could yet be against Argentina.



Australia were comfortable in the Asian group, finishing five points clear of other qualifiers Japan, joining the two Koreas in South Africa. In the Asia/Oceania play-off Bahrain (having knocked Saudi Arabia out in a 2-2 draw away from home) must play a strong and deserving New Zealand for a place at the World Cup.

In the most interesting group in the world, South America, it is going down to the wire. Brazil, Paraguay and Chile are through while Uruguay, Ecuador and even Argentina are in the fight for fourth and fifth place. Argentina, then, are not safe but just need to beat Uruguay away, who are only one point behind them. That will be a cracking match and one worth watching. If Uruguay are beaten by Argentina (though this is not a foregone conclusion with Diego Maradona’s boys going through a bad run of inconsistent form) then Ecuador could take the fourth place with a win away to Chile, who have already qualified. The last stages of this group tonight will, indeed, be a climactic and crucial finish.