World Cup Roundup: Gregoritsch Sends Austria To Finals At Expense Of Bosnia

Austria qualified for nan 2026 World Cup aft snatching a 77th-minute equaliser done Michael Gregoritsch against Bosnia and Herzegovina successful Vienna to gain a 1-1 tie and top Group H. It will beryllium Austria’s first quality astatine a World Cup finals tourney since 1998.

Bosnia vanished 2nd successful nan group, 2 points down connected 17, and spell into a playoff successful March for a spot astatine nan finals tournament, which will beryllium co-hosted adjacent twelvemonth by Mexico, nan US and Canada.

Needing a triumph to apical nan group and unafraid automatic qualification to their 2nd World Cup tourney aft their maiden quality successful 2014, Bosnia stunned nan location crowd erstwhile Haris Tabakovic headed successful from adjacent scope to springiness them a 12th-minute lead. The guardant has now scored successful each of their past 3 qualifiers, including successful nan 3-1 triumph against Romania connected Saturday.

Ralf Rangnick’s Austria bounced back, regained power and put nan shot successful nan nett connected nan changeable of half-time but Konrad Laimer’s effort was overruled for a foul aft a lengthy reappraisal from nan video adjunct referee.

The visitors were contented to beryllium backmost and soak up nan unit successful nan 2nd half, hoping to drawback Austria connected nan break. But nan hosts’ unit yet paid disconnected erstwhile Gregoritsch saw Marcel Sabitzer’s transverse sail past nan Bosnian keeper earlier bouncing disconnected a station and into his way for a powerful decorativeness and his 23rd and astir memorable world goal.

Spain secured their spot aft a nervy 2-2 tie pinch Turkey successful Seville, finishing unbeaten astatine nan apical of Group E contempt being fixed a genuine scare by their resilient visitors.

The European champions led done Dani Olmo successful nan 4th infinitesimal but Turkey, who needed an almost intolerable seven-goal triumph to declare nan group, managed to equalise done Deniz Gul successful nan 42nd minute. Turkey past stunned nan location crowd by taking nan lead successful nan 54th infinitesimal acknowledgment to a Salih Ozcan onslaught from nan separator of nan box.

However, Mikel Oyarzabal levelled nan lucifer 8 minutes later to debar what would person been Spain’s first location conclusion successful a qualifier and Turkey had to settee for a spot successful nan playoffs for nan 2026 finals tournament.

“We didn’t observe arsenic euphorically arsenic we would person liked,” Olmo told TVE. “We wanted to decorativeness pinch different triumph and different cleanable sheet. It’s a bittersweet emotion … But we’re happy to person qualified for nan World Cup.”

Mikel Oyarzabal pounces to prevention Spain’s proud location grounds successful World Cup qualifiers. Photograph: Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images

Switzerland qualified contempt being held 1-1 successful Pristina by Kosovo, arsenic Florent Muslija’s superb onslaught cancelled retired Rubén Vargas’s early second-half extremity for nan visitors. The hosts needed a six-goal triumph to overtake Switzerland, who vanished apical of Group B pinch 14 points, completing an unbeaten qualifying campaign. Kosovo secured 2nd spot pinch 11 points and a berth successful nan European playoffs successful March, arsenic they pursuit a first World Cup appearance.

After a level first half pinch fewer openings, Vargas collapsed nan deadlock 90 seconds aft nan restart, slipping successful down to meet a through-ball from Djibril Sow and beating Arijanet Muric pinch a debased finish.

Kosovo equalised successful nan 74th infinitesimal done Muslija, who pounced connected a loose shot conscionable extracurricular nan area and unleashed a superb curling onslaught into nan top-right corner, leaving Gregor Kobel pinch nary chance.

Spurred connected by a raucous crowd, nan hosts pressed for a precocious winner, but efforts from Baton Zabergja and Vedat Muriqi were smothered by Kobel and a resolute Swiss backline.

The Switzerland captain, Granit Xhaka, said: “It was important for america that nan Kosovars didn’t transportation their euphoria into nan game,” said. “We tin beryllium proud of ourselves. It’s not to beryllium taken for granted that we’ve qualified for a awesome tourney 8 times successful a row. I’m conscionable happy.”

Belgium hammered Liechtenstein 7-0 to corroborate their berth, finishing their run unbeaten. A 5th triumph successful 8 games gave Belgium a full of 18 points astatine nan apical of Group J, 2 much than nan runners-up Wales, and secured their spot astatine nan finals tourney adjacent year.

Jérémy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere scored doubly and location were goals for Hans Vanaken, Brandon Mechele and Alexis Saelemaekers pinch nan location broadside scoring 4 times successful a furious seven-minute, second-half spell.

Belgium will beryllium competing astatine their 15th World Cup finals, having doubly reached nan semi-finals. Liechtenstein vanished nan run without scoring – nan only broadside successful nan European qualifiers to do so.