Germany has secured its place in next year’s World Cup with a resounding 6-0 victory over Slovakia in the final qualifying match. The four-time champions dominated from the outset, netting four goals in the first half and leaving their opponents to battle for a playoff spot in March.
After disappointing departures in the early rounds of the last two World Cups, Germany finished at the top of their group, pulling three points clear of Slovakia. The scoring opened with an unmarked Nick Woltemade, who headed in his fourth goal in the last three international appearances in the 18th minute. Following that, Serge Gnabry capitalized on a pinpoint pass from Leon Goretzka to double the lead.
The momentum only increased as Florian Wirtz set up Leroy Sané, who curled in a stunning shot past Slovak goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, effectively sealing the game. Just five minutes later, Wirtz assisted Sané again, allowing the winger to secure his second goal of the night. Slovakia, having triumphed over Germany in Bratislava back in September, found themselves overwhelmed by the relentless German onslaught.
“It was a really good game for us tonight,” Woltemade reflected. “From start to finish, we didn’t allow any openings at the back and showed our creativity. I hope it was enjoyable for the fans. Playing for Germany is a fantastic honor, and it’s great to be World Cup-bound.”
While the pace eased in the second half, substitutes Ridle Baku and Assan Ouédraogo added two more goals, with Ouédraogo becoming Germany’s youngest scorer on debut at just 19 years of age.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands also celebrated their qualification with a comfortable 4-0 win against Lithuania, finishing at the top of Group G. It could have been an even more significant margin given their dominance, but the result ensured they finished three points ahead of second-placed Poland.
Tijjani Reijnders gave the Dutch a 1-0 lead at halftime, followed by a flurry of second-half goals from Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons, and Donyell Malen.
In a tight contest elsewhere, Poland clinched a 3-2 victory over Malta, aided by a late strike from Piotr Zielinski. Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring, only for Irvin Cardona to equalize for Malta. Poland regained the lead through Pawel Wszolek, but a Teddy Teuma penalty once again leveled the game before Zielinski secured the win.
Northern Ireland brought their Group A campaign to a close with a narrow 1-0 victory over Luxembourg, marked by Jamie Donley’s first international goal. Donley converted a penalty just before halftime following a foul on Ciaron Brown. Despite aspirations of claiming second place, Northern Ireland’s hopes were dashed by a previous defeat to Slovakia, but they retain playoff prospects due to last year’s Nations League achievements.
Lastly, the Czech Republic, already assured of a playoff spot, put on a clinic against Gibraltar, dismantling them 6-0, with five first-half goals that included an early strike from David Doudera and further contributions from Tomas Chory, Vladimir Coufal, Adam Karabec, and skipper Tomas Soucek. Robin Hranac added a sixth shortly after the break, capping off a dominant display. Although they finished 16 points behind Croatia, who mounted a remarkable comeback to defeat Montenegro 3-2, the Czechs underscored their readiness for the tests ahead.
