FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers-Key matches and Surprises

While many fans of football hate the international break, we love it! The period of the year when national teams play has its charm, and you can’t negate it. When participation at a World Cup is at stake, the passion is elevated to another level. The 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico is almost upon us, with a bit less than a year left. While some teams have secured their place at the most prestigious international tournament, many others are desperately fighting to get there. 

The World Cup 2026 FIFA Qualifiers are entering their final stage, and this week, and in the next national team gathering it will be decided who’s made it to the World Cup. With more than a few games on the schedule some matches are without stakes, while others have the participation in the WC on the line. If you plan to bet on these games, check out the betting markets on Stake. Besides doing that, keep on reading as we make bold predictions for the key qualifiers ahead of us, looking for a major surprise. 

Nigeria vs. Rwanda

Let’s start with the African qualifiers. The Super eagles are one of the best national teams on the continent but they haven’t been up to standards during these qualifiers. At the moment, Nigeria has only one win in six games, with four draws. Their opponent is Rwanda, who is sitting at the spot No2 in their group. South Africa is a team that has almost mathematically secured the WC participation, while Nigeria will have to beat Rwanda to put themselves into contention. There’s only 4 matches left to be played, and the stakes are high for this one. Nigeria is of course the favourite to win a home match for them vs. Rwanda. Their win is paid with 1.35 odds, while a bet on Rwanda pays with 11.00 odds. A draw is set at 4.60 odds. While Nigeria is a heavy favourite for this one, we wouldn’t put it past Rwanda to make a surprise and at least draw the game. 

The reason why Nigeria is so heavily seen as able to win this bout easily is their squad which contains the likes of Alex Iwobi, Wifred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Christantus Uche, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Cyriel Dessers, and Tolu Arokodare. This team is the best in Africa on paper, they just failed to prove it during these qualifiers. Rwanda, on the other hand has nowhere the type of superstars the Super Eagles do, and they’ll be relying on their defence to hold the fortress, and have to believe that Fitina Omborenga, Thierry Manzi, Ange Mutsinzi, Claude Niyomugabo, Aly-Enzo Hamon, Phanuel Kavita, and Alexis Nduwayo can stop the Nigeria’s potent attack. 

Latvia vs. Serbia 

While not powerhouses when we talk about the quality of the teams and the trophies won, Latvia vs. Serbia is a must win duel for the Serbian team. They’ve been pitted into the group with England, which has a superb national team and already have 3 out of 3 games won. They will take home the No1 spot, and Serbia will have to fight for No2 position. Getting to the World Cup puts enough pressure on the teams as is, but when you know that Serbia is in a group with Albania, then you ought to know that the pressure is maximized. The tensions between these two nations are always high, and winning the No2 spot is not only a matter of sports success, but also of national pride for these nations. 

Considering that Serbia isn’t playing vs. Albania, you must be wondering why we’re singling the duel vs. Latvia out. Well, it’s simple. Both Albania and Serbia will lose vs. England, that much is known. So, in order to get to the World Cup, they need to win all the duels against Andorra and Latvia.  This one should be in Serbia’s hands, as their team is much better, at least on paper. The likes of Milenkovic, Pavlovic, Terzic, Lukic, Gudelj, Kostic, Ilic, Samardzic, Mitrovic, and Vlahovic should have enough quality to take home a win from Riga. If you do your fair share of sports betting on Stake, then you know that a Serbia win pays with a 1.37 odds. There shouldn’t be any surprise at this duel, but if it happens, it will be celebrated more in Tirana than in Riga. Remember, Albania already drew with Latvia, so with a win, Serbia would be ahead in the WC  race compared to their rivals. 

North Macedonia vs. Lichtenstein 

This is a duel where history could be written. North Macedonia loves football, but their national team was never close to making any strides on the international scene. This year could change all of that. The North Macedonian team started the qualifiers on a high note, winning two, and drawing two duels at the start of the qualifiers. In a surprising fashion, they’ve won against Lichtenstein and Kazakhstan, while drawing against Belgium and Wales. Being in the group with Welsh Dragons, and Belgium put North Macedonia in the outsiders group  before the qualifiers started. At the moment they are in a fine position, battling both Wales and Belgium for dominion. Miovski, Atanasov, Elmas, Bardhi, Kostadinov, Musliu, Alioski and others have been playing out of their minds during the last four matches in their group. If they’re able to keep their focus, wind this one, and stand their ground when facing Belgium and Wales the next time, North Macedonia could be on the way to its first ever World Cup. The odds on North Macedonia winning this one are set at 1.07 and it should be a sure fire win. 

San Marino vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina 

We know that San Marino rarely wins any matches. They are basically an amateur side. Yet, they play with passion, and their only desire when playing home is not to lose. With Bosnia & Herzegovina being on a hot run and in a  good spot to go directly to the world cup, matches as this one are a must win. Yet, winning already won matches is the hardest of tasks. The odds are miniature, being set at 1.03, but this is a duel where plenty of goals could be seen. Demirovic, Tahirovic, Dzeko, Dedic, and Huseinbasic should provide everything necessary in that department. 

Germany vs. Northern Ireland 

The competition in the Group A has only begun, but Germany is already facing a lot of pressure. Their defeat against Slovakia has shown that their national team is in a bad spot, and that they’re not the powerhouse they once were. A defeat against Slovakia has shown all the weaknesses the German team has. On paper, the likes of Woltemade, Wirtz, Goretzka, Rudiger, Tah, and Kimich were the better teams. On the field, Slovakia took home an easy win. The fear in Germany is that the team has no cohesion, and that a solid unit of Northern Ireland could take some points from Cologne when the two teams meet. 

Northern Ireland has kicked off their competition in Group A with a solid win. Luxembourg fell at home, and the likes of Price, Reid, Bradley, Charles, and McNair showed how one needs to play for the national team. While the NI team is not hoping for  a win in Germany we are sure that they could snatch a draw if they play the same way as they have against Luxembourg. The Germans remain heavy favourites for this one, but with their odds being set at 1.12, and a draw paid by 9.50, experienced bettors could seek a surprise at this exact duel. 

Bolivia vs. Brazil 

On any other day, Brazil would be favourite to win this match. Not this time around. For one, Bolivia is playing at home, and we all know they are not good hosts. No team comes to play football at La Paz. The second reason is even better. Brazil has secured its spot at the World Cup. Bolivia is in play for the position No7 which would pit against six teams who managed to reach the same stage on a new format of an 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification called inter confederation play offs. To get there, a win against Brazil is a must, and the likes of Fernandez, Miguelito, Vaca Moreno, Paniagua, Morales, and Lampe will have to find a way to beat Brazil. The odds on Bolivia are set at 3.35. 

Brazil, now coached by none other than Carlo Ancelotti won their last bout against Chile, 3:0 with ease, showing that the preparations for the WC are already on the way. A team featuring Joao Pedro, Gabriel, Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Raphinha, Estevao, Alisson, Lucas Paqueta, and Richarlison shouldn’t be underestimated in any case. 

Venezuela vs. Colombia 

This duel has the same stakes as Bolivia vs. Brazil. Colombia has already secured their spot at the World Cup and have nothing to play for. Venezuela is currently sitting in that position No7 that holds a path toward the WC. With only one round of qualifiers left, they need to win this one. A draw and Bolivian win would be the end of their World Cup aspirations. Venezuela doesn’t have a win against Colombia in their last five outings, so in addition to going to the WC, they will play for national pride. The motive is there, and we are sure their star players such as Rondon, Rincon, Savarino, Aramburu, Angel, and Murillo will leave their hearts on the field to secure a positive result. 

As we said, Columbia has nothing left to play for. Yet, they are well known for being a no nonsense team. When the national team plays, every player gives 100% every time. So, it will not be an easy task for Venezuela. The difference in quality is there on paper, with Columbia having much more expensive teams filled with stars who sell their trade in Europe. Just some of them are Luis Diaz, Mojica, Cordoba, Rodriguez, Arias, Rios, Sanchez, Quintero, Suarez, Lerma, Mina, and Jorge Carrascal. It is going to be a thigh contest, and the odds suggest as much. The odds are 2.40 on Venezuela, 3.10 on a draw, and 3.20 on Columbia win. 

Poland vs. Finland

In Group G, the Netherlands are clear cut favorites to take that No1 spot. The fight for position two will be between Poland and Finland. Finland managed to snatch a win in Helsinki but it was not an easy win by any means. With a win in this one, they could be one step closer to being the second best team in the group G. To be honest, it is not like Netherlands ran away with the No1 position. 

With a home win vs. Finland, Poland would put a fire under the Dutch feet, and even shoot for that No1 spot. If they lose, the nation would go berserk as the qualifications for the WC would be in jeopardy. When the referee signals the kick off in Chorzów all eyes will be on Lewandowski, Szymanski, Zalewski, Cash, Wisniewski, Bednarek, Kiwior, and Skorupski. The odds on Polish win are set at 1.60 and that’s a good opportunity to cash in on the home team. 

The Finnish team is looking for their first ever WC participation, and a few good results in the next period could provide them with that. After years of not being competitive, this Finland team with Pohjanpalo, Pukki from the bench, Jensen, Lod, Ivanov, Kamara and Hradecky is showing that Finns can play football. 

Another exciting round of the World Cup qualifiers lies ahead of us, and the duels we’ve singled out carry the most weight for one reason or another. Follow them all through, and see which national team got one step closer to the WC.