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Scotland, Denmark, Austria light up FIFA 2026 qualifiers with big wins

Scotland staged a dramatic comeback to stay level with Denmark in Group C, while Austria and the Faroe Islands enjoyed record-breaking nights in the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Scotland rallied from a goal down to beat Greece 3-1 in Glasgow, boosting their chances of reaching a first World Cup finals since 1998. Kostas Tsimikas opened for Greece in the 62nd minute, but Ryan Christie equalised two minutes later. Lewis Ferguson gave Scotland the lead in the 80th minute, and Lyndon Dykes sealed victory with an added-time goal, after Angus Gunn denied Konstantinos Karetsas a late equaliser.

Denmark maintained top spot in Group C with a 6-0 win over Belarus in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary. Rasmus Hojlund scored twice, opening the scoring in the 19th minute and adding a second before half-time. Patrick Dorgu, assisted by Hojlund, scored before half-time, with substitutes Anders Dreyer netting twice in the second half to complete the rout.

In Group G, the Netherlands moved to 13 points from five matches with a 4-0 victory over Malta in Ta’ Qali. Cody Gakpo scored twice from penalties, Ryan Gravenberch won the first spot-kick, and Gakpo set up Tijjani Reijnders for the third goal. Memphis Depay added a stoppage-time header for the fourth.

Austria maintained their perfect record in Group H with a 10-0 thrashing of San Marino, with Marko Arnautovic becoming Austria’s all-time top scorer, netting four to reach 45 goals, surpassing Toni Polster.

Earlier, Algeria qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 win over Somalia, extending their lead at the top of Group G. Uganda strengthened their hold on second place with a win over Botswana.

The European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup feature 53 teams competing for 16 available spots. Group leaders will advance directly to the tournament, while second-placed teams will enter a playoff round for the remaining places.

The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held from June 8 to July 3, 2026, across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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