IFFHS CONTINENTAL STATS - MEN'S EUROPEAN WORLD CUP 2026 QUALIFIERS
Picture : Marko Arnautović scored 4 goals to become Austria’s all-time top goalscorer (45 goals).
Statistics on WC 2026 qualifiers and NT friendlies (9 October)
Austria vs San Marino 10-0
*Austria set their new record for highest margin of victory. Their previous biggest win was 9-0 vs Malta on 30 April 1977.
*It was Austria’s 6th game with a double-digit goals (for and against comprising) in their history.
The previous such game was an epic World Cup quarterfinal vs Switzerland (7-5) on 26 June 1954.
*Marko Arnautović scored 4 goals to become Austria’s all-time top goalscorer (45 goals). He surpassed Toni Polster who scored 44 goals between 1982 and 1998.
*Arnautović’s poker is the first achieved by an Austrian player since Hans Krankl’s historical 6 goals vs Malta on 30 April 1977.
Malta vs Netherlands 0-4
*Memphis Depay who extended his scoring record for Netherlands to 53 goals has used an assist from Denzel Dumfries.
Thus, they two became the “Oranje” pair with the joint-most assists on a specific team-mate this century: Depay scored after Dumfries passes for the 7th time.
Also Rafael van der Vaart assisted to Klaas Jan Huntelaar for his 7 goals.
*Cody Gakpo scored twice from the penalty spot; he is the first Netherlands’ player to do so in a single game (exclding shootouts) since Rob Rensenbrink against Iran at the 1978 World Cup.
Faroe Islands vs Montenegro 4-0
*This is the joint-largest Faroe Islands’ win in a FIFA game in their history, alongside two wins vs Liechtenstein, 5-1 on 7 June 2021 and 4-0 on 22 March 2024.
England vs Wales 3-0 (friendly)
*Jordan Pickford set the new England’s record for the number of consecutive clean sheets (8). Last time he conceded goals exactly one year ago, in a Nations’ League match vs Greece (1-2) on 10 October 2024
Pickford surpassed Gordon Banks who made 7 clean sheets in a row for England in 1966 (4 of them in World Cup games).
*England have scored 3 goals inside the opening 20 minutes for the first time since 11 November 1987 against Yugoslavia (4-1, goals by Peter Beardsley in 4th minute, John Barnes in 17th and Bryan Robson in 20th).
*Bukayo Saka became Arsenal’s highest ever scorer for England (13 goals). He beat Cliff Bastin (12 goals between 1931 and 1938).
The next Arsenal scorers for the Three Lions are Tony Woodcock (9), Ian Wright (9), Danny Welbeck (8), Theo Walcott (8).
*England’s starting lineup was without a player from at least one club of Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United for the first time since June 1992 against France.
*England have won all their last 8 games against Wales. This run started after the England’s 0-1 loss on 2 May 1984 in British Home Championship.