IFFHS WORLD STATS - WORLD CUP 2026 QUALIFIERS
Statistics on WC 2026 qualifiers (13-14 November)
Republic of Ireland vs Portugal 2-0
*Cristiano Ronaldo (picture) got his just the first red card with Portugal, at his 226th appearance for them. With his clubs, CR7 received 12 red cards in total.
Moldova vs Italy 0-2
*Gennaro Gattuso won each of the first 5 matches as Italy’s coach; only 2 of his predecessors in this duty were as successful: Edmondo Fabbri between 1962 and 1963 and Azeglio Vicini between 1986 and 1987.
However, this still won't help Italy finish first in the qualifying group. To overtake Norway, Italy must beat them tomorrow by an unrealistic 9-goal margin.
Norway vs Estonia 4-1
*Erling Haaland scored "only" two goals this time, missing the chance to become the first European footballer in history to score three consecutive hat-tricks in World Cup qualifying matches.
He also missed the chance to tie the world record for most consecutive hat-tricks (3) for a national team (in any games).
*At the same time, "The Cyborg" extended his scoring streak for Norway to 10 games. Thus he tied two records:
the all-time European (six other players have achieved the run of same length, most recently Jan Koller in 1999-2000);
the XXI century world record (tying the run of Aymen Hussein with Iraq in 2024).
Haaland is just one step away from equaling the absolute world record (11 scoring games in a row).
England vs Serbia 2-0
*Serbia's record (including the Yugoslavian era) in World Cups held in the Americas is appalling: they failed to qualify for Mexico 1970, Argentina 1978, Mexico 1986, USA 1994, Brazil 2014, and now 2026.
They haven't competed in a World Cup in the Americas since 1962. In the meantime, they haven't failed to qualify for World Cups held in Europe since 1966.
*Jordan Pickford has levelled Joe Hart’s tally of 43 clean sheets for England; only Peter Shilton is now ahead with 66.
*It is Pickford’s 10th consecutive clean sheet for “Three Lions” (the former national record of Gordon Banks was 7 games); he extended his run without conceding goals to 900 minutes. He surpassed his previous best mark of 726 minutes set in 2021.
*Eberechi Eze became just the 2nd England's player to score all his first 3 goals as a substitute, after Harry Kane in 2015.
*Ezri Konsa won his last 11 games for England: the joint longest winning run by a defender in their history, level with Bob Crompton (11 wins in a row between 1908 and 1910).
France vs Ukraine 4-0
*France have qualified for a major tournament (Euro and World Cup) for the 16th consecutive time.
*France have scored 2+ goals in 8 consecutive matches for the first time since March-August 2000 (12 consecutive matches in that case).
*Kylian Mbappé scored in 6 consecutive matches for Les Bleus as the first player to do so since Jean-Pierre Papin, who scored in 7 straight games between September 1990 and November 1991.
*Mbappé extended his tally in 2025 to 55 goals; he is now just one goal shy of his highest annual mark (56), as well as Haaland (now 49 goals in 2025 while his personal record is 50).
Poland vs Netherlands 1-1
*Memphis Depay has scored his 6th away goal for “Oranje” in 2025; only Marco van Basten ever scored more in a single calendar year (7 goals in 1990).
Faas Wilkes also scored 6 away goals for Netherlands in 1946.
Nigeria vs Gabon 4-1
*Nigeria became the first team to score 3 goals in extra time in the entire history of World Cup Qualifying.