Another 180 minutes and it will be known who from Europe will go directly to the World Cup next summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada, who will have to wait until March and the play-offs, and who will watch the World Cup on TV.
Two rounds in November (played from Thursday to Tuesday) will bring the curtain down on the European qualifiers, and currently the only official thing is that England and Thomas Tuchel have been able to plan their trip across the Atlantic since last month.
"Proud Albion" is so far the only team that has secured a place in a major competition, and four other greats are very close to getting close to it.
France, Portugal, the Netherlands and Croatia are finishing the job right away?
The first teams that could join England are France, Portugal, the Netherlands and Croatia, who could finish their qualifying campaign in the first matches of November, or rather before the final round.
The "Tricolors" have three points more than Ukraine and with a victory over this rival on Thursday at the "Parc des Princes" they will officially book their ticket to North and Central America.
The match will be played on November 13th, a painful date for all French people, as that day will be the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Paris, when 130 people were killed, and gunfire was heard around the Saint-Denis stadium while France and Germany were playing.
"It's a sensitive issue. Deep down I think it would have been better if we could have avoided playing on November 13th," said Didier Deschamps, coach of the "Gallic Roosters".
Portugal were minutes away from qualifying in October, but Dominik Soboslai put it all away with a 91st-minute goal. However, Cristiano Ronaldo and his team are practically already in the World Cup - they are five points clear of second-placed Hungary at the top of their group. They will have their first match against Ireland away on Thursday, and if they fail, they will have a match against Armenia in the final round at home.
The Netherlands has three points more than Poland, a much better goal difference, and even if they lose to Robert Lewandowski and his teammates in Warsaw on Friday, they would still finish the job with a victory over Lithuania in the final round.
Croatia has shown that it is a class above all teams in the group that also includes Montenegro (our national team lost all chances in the qualifiers a long time ago) and if it defeats the Faroe Islands on Friday in Rijeka, it will win another major competition in a row.
Norway, Spain and Switzerland are awaiting official confirmation.
Norway, Spain and Switzerland are practically also in the World Cup, but since they play their closest rivals in the standings in the final round, only mathematics separates them from qualifying.
This is especially true for Erling Haaland and the Vikings, who if they beat Estonia in their final match on Thursday could lose to Italy, as they have a much better goal difference (29:3) than the Azzurri (18:8). Stole Solbakken's team will thus return to the big competition after a long 26 years.
It's similar with Spain, who will play the last 90 minutes against Turkey in Seville - a team they have three points ahead of and who they crushed 6-0 in Konya.
Switzerland is at the top of Group B, three points ahead of Kosovo and seven ahead of Slovenia, so they will seek official confirmation of their World Cup qualification through the next two rounds against Sweden and Kosovo.
Direct battles for the World Cup in Leipzig and Glasgow, our region dreams...
The most uncertain events during the last two rounds will be in groups A and C, where two teams are tied at the top and face each other in head-to-head matches.
In the first group, Germany and Slovakia each have nine points, in the second, Denmark and Scotland each have 10 - if all of these teams win in the penultimate round, then the last direct duels will decide who goes to the World Cup.
The Germans and Slovaks will meet on Monday in Leipzig, and before that they will face Luxembourg and Northern Ireland respectively. Next Tuesday is reserved for a big clash at Hampden Park, but a little earlier the Scots and Danes will have to celebrate against Greece and Belarus respectively.
Along with England, 11 other teams will secure a place at the World Cup this November, while the 12 best runners-up from the qualifiers and the four best performers from the last Nations League will compete for the remaining four places through a play-off in March.
Several teams from the region are also close to the play-offs, while Bosnia and Herzegovina could even qualify directly for the World Cup, although it will need victories against its two toughest rivals in the group - first Romania in Zenica, and then Austria at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna.
North Macedonia will play the deciding match in Cardiff against Wales, who they have three points and a match in hand, so a point on the Island will probably be enough for the play-offs. In that group, Belgium should confirm their place in the World Cup with victories over Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein.
Albania took a big step towards the playoffs in October, defeating Serbia in Leskovac, and now has a point more than the "Eagles", who are still hoping that with new coach Veljko Paunović they can pull off a miracle at the end of the qualifiers.
Both teams face matches against a relaxed England (Serbs at Wembley, Albanians in Tirana), as well as home games against Latvia and Andorra, respectively.
Kosovo is one step away from a miracle, but it faces major battles with another member of the former Yugoslavia - Slovenia.
Kosovo has three points more than the "dragons", but these two teams will meet on Saturday in Ljubljana, and after that Vedat Murić and his teammates will welcome Switzerland, and the Slovenians will play away to the already written-off Sweden.
There is still a lot at stake, Europe will tremble in the coming days, because the stakes are huge - going to the World Cup.
SCHEDULE UNTIL THE END
GROUP A
Friday
Luxembourg - Germany (8:45 p.m.)
Slovakia - Northern Ireland (8:45 p.m.)
Monday
Germany - Slovakia (8:45 p.m.)
S. Ireland - Luxembourg (20.45pm)
GROUP B
Saturday
Switzerland - Sweden (8:45 p.m.)
Slovenia - Kosovo (8:45 p.m.)
Tuesday
Sweden - Slovenia (20:45)
Kosovo - Switzerland (8:45 p.m.)
GROUP C
Saturday
Denmark - Belarus (8:45 p.m.)
Greece - Scotland (20.45pm)
Tuesday
Scotland - Denmark (20.45pm)
Belarus - Greece (20:45)
GROUP D
Thursday
Azerbaijan - Iceland (20:45h)
France - Ukraine (8:45 p.m.)
Sunday
Ukraine - Iceland (20:45h)
Azerbaijan - France (8:45 p.m.)
GROUP E
Saturday
Turkey - Bulgaria (6:00 p.m.)
Georgia - Spain (6:00 p.m.)
Tuesday
Bulgaria - Georgia (8:45 p.m.)
Spain - Turkey (20.45pm)
GROUP F
Thursday
Armenia - Hungary (6:00 p.m.)
Ireland - Portugal (20.45pm)
Sunday
Hungary - Ireland (3:00 p.m.)
Portugal - Armenia (3:00 p.m.)
GROUP G
Friday
Finland - Malta (18.00h)
Poland - Netherlands (8:45 p.m.)
Monday
Malta - Poland (20.45pm)
Netherlands - Lithuania (20.45pm)
GROUP H
Saturday
Cyprus - Austria (6:00 p.m.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Romania (8:45 p.m.)
Tuesday
Austria - Bosnia and Herzegovina (8:45 p.m.)
Rumunija - San Marino (20.45h)
GROUP I
Thursday
Norway - Estonia (6:00 p.m.)
Moldova - Italy (20:45)
Sunday
Italy - Norway (8:45 p.m.)
Israel - Moldova (8:45 p.m.)
GROUP J
Saturday
Kazakhstan - Belgium (3:00 p.m.)
Liechtenstein - Wales (6:00 p.m.)
Tuesday
Wales - S. Macedonia (20.45h)
Belgium - Liechtenstein (8:45 p.m.)
GROUP K
Thursday
England - Serbia (20.45pm)
Andorra - Albania (20.45h)
Sunday
Albania - England (20.45pm)
Serbia - Latvia (20.45h)
GROUP L
Friday
Gibraltar - Montenegro (20.45h)
Croatia - F. Islands (20.45h)
Monday
Montenegro - Croatia (8:45 p.m.)
Czech Republic - Gibraltar (20.45h)
Bonus video:
