Norway and Bosnia impress early in World Cup qualifiers

The qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in Europe have begun, with some early teams making their presence known. The competition will ramp up in September, but March has already seen some significant results. Norway has made a strong impression. They won both their matches, scoring four goals against Israel and defeating Moldova. This performance positions them as serious contenders in their group. Meanwhile, Bosnia and Herzegovina also secured a crucial victory, beating Romania 1-0. This win puts them in a good position early in their group. The qualifying format in Europe includes 54 nations divided into 12 groups of four or five teams. The group winners will qualify for the World Cup, while runners-up will have a chance to secure playoff spots. The top 16 teams from Europe will qualify, the most from any confederation. Top teams like Spain, France, England, Germany, and Portugal are seen as strong contenders for qualification. Many other teams, including Italy, Belgium, and Croatia, are in the running but face tough competition. There are still many matches to play, and the race to the World Cup is just starting.