International updates: Quansah debut, Poku scores - Oranje qualify for World Cup

+++ 17/11: Flekken and Co. celebrate World Cup qualification +++

The Oranje have secured their place at the 2026 World Cup finals. Thanks to a 4-0 win against bottom-placed Lithuania, the Netherlands finished top of Group G with 20 points out of a possible 24. Bayer 04 keeper Mark Flekken did not play. Poland ended up in second place and are in the play-offs.

+++ 17/11: Czechia with Schick seal big win +++

Czechia, with Patrik Schick on the pitch for almost 90 minutes, secured a 6-0 home win against Gibraltar. Second place in Group L was already secure before the match, and Schick and Co. will now go into the World Cup play-offs, which start in March next year.

+++ 17/11: Belocian starts and moves up to top spot with France U21s +++

A successful Monday night for Jeanuel Belocian and his team-mates from the France U21 team: With the Werkself player in the starting XI, the young Équipe Tricolore held their own against the Faroe Islands and won 1-0 thanks to a first-half penalty. Belocian played until the 68th minute. With ten points from four games, France have gone top of Group C of the European Championship qualifiers in place of the Faroe Islands.

+++ 16/11: Successful England debut for Quansah +++

Jarell Quansah made his international debut in style with the Werkself defender and his England team-mates keeping a clean sheet in the final World Cup qualifier on Sunday night. The 2-0 victory over group runners-up Albania - Harry Kane scored both goals - was the eighth qualifier without conceding for the Three Lions, who have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup finals. Quansah, who played the full 90 minutes, was clearly proud after the game: "This is one of the greatest days of my life. Being part of this team means a lot to me. I thank all my team-mates, my coaches and the staff!"

+++ 15/11: Grimaldo and Garcia remain on course+++

Spain are not absolutely certain of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals. Nevertheless, after their fifth win in their fifth match and a goal difference of 19 to 0, La Roja can be confident in making preparations for next year's finals. The 4-0 win in Georgia was another show of strength by the European champions. The Werkself players Alejandro Grimaldo and Aleix Garcia did not feature.

Spain play their final group game next Tuesday in Seville against Turkey, who are just three points behind but with a far inferior goal difference (plus 5) - an almost unsurmountable hurdle if they are to overtake Grimaldo, Garcia and Co. in the head-to-head clash.

+++ 14/11: Poku on target for Dutch U21s +++

 Ernest Poku continued his fine form on the international stage. The Leverkusen winger started for Netherlands U21s against Slovenia and scored to make it 2-0, after the Dutch had been reduced to 10 men with the score at 0-0. The team are in second place in a close Group G, with three fixtures left to play. The next of those is away to Israel on Tuesday.

+++ 14/11: Flekken's Oranje draw 1-1 with Poland  +++

The Dutch senior team have all but qualified for the World Cup after drawing 1-1 against Poland. A win would've mathematically confirmed qualification for the Elftal but they remain three points ahead of the Poles at the top of Group G with a vastly superior goal difference. Memphis Depay equalised for the Dutch after Jakub Kaminski had given Poland the lead. Mark Flekken was an unused substitute, with Bart Verbruggen keeping goal for Netherlands. They play Lithuania in their final qualifier on Monday, where a draw will be enough to secure qualification.

+++ 14/11: Belocian comeback in France U21 draw +++

Jeanuel Belocian played his first minutes for the French U21 team in over a year, coming on in stoppage time of the 1-1 draw against Switzerland in European Championship qualifying. Eli Junior Kroupi cancelled out the Swiss opener from Alessandro Vogt in Lausanne. The French youngsters are currently in fourth place in Group C but are only two points off leaders Faroe Islands, who they can overtake when the two teams face off on Monday evening.

+++ 14/11: Kabore hat-trick fires Burkina Faso to win +++

Friendly success for Edmond Tapsoba's Burkina Faso. With the Bayer defender on the bench, the West Africans beat Niger 3-2. Pierre Kabore of Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian scored all three goals. Tapsoba and Co take on Benin in another friendly on Tuesday evening.

+++ 14/11: Successful friendly for Morocco +++

Already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, the Moroccan national team - with Eliesse Ben Seghir in their squad - won the first of two friendlies. Azzedine Ounahi of Girona scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Mozambique. Ben Seghir was not involved. Morocco's second friendly is against Uganda on Tuesday.

+++ 13/11: England still unbeatable +++

You can't get better than this: England made it seven wins from seven matches in Group K of World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 win at home to Serbia. Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze netted the goals in each half for the already qualified Three Lions, who are still yet to drop a point or concede a goal in this campaign. Werkself defender Jarell Quansah was an unused substitute at Wembley. England's final match is away to second-placed Albania on Sunday evening.

+++ 13/11: Successful warm-up for Schick and Co +++

Czech Republic played a friendly against San Marino ahead of their final World Cup qualifier. After missing a penalty and having a goal disallowed for offside, Tomáš Souček of West Ham United scored the only goal of the game towards the end of the first half. Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick came on in the 63rd minute.

The Czechs face a significantly more important encounter this coming Monday with their eighth and last group match in World Cup qualifying. They must win against pointless Gibraltar to be guaranteed second place, which would send them through to the European play-offs.

+++ 13/11: Maza starts for Algeria in friendly win +++

World Cup participants Algeria emerged victorious from the first of two friendlies in this period, claiming a comfortable 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe. Werkself attacker Ibrahim Maza was in the starting line-up as all three Algerian goals arrived in the first half. He came off in the 62nd minute, before his team-mates conceded a penalty shortly before the end. Next up is a clash with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.