Another 11 tickets for the 2026 World Cup participants will be distributed starting tonight, Tuesday, 12 teams will qualify for the March play-offs, and when it comes to our region, everyone has their own calculations and dreams before the last 180 minutes.
Everyone except Montenegro.
Our national team will bring the curtain down on their disastrous qualifiers with matches against Gibraltar (tomorrow at 8:45 PM) and Croatia on Monday, and what is even more disappointing is that the "falcons" knew even before the October "window" that they had nothing left to fight for.
Six points from six games and no triumph since March perhaps best reflects how Montenegro played in the qualifiers and how much work will have to be done to change everything in the future.
And while the "falcons" are already starting preparations for the next action, all other members of the former Yugoslavia, plus Albania, can still fight. First of all, for the play-offs, with Croatia practically already in the World Cup, and Bosnia and Herzegovina could join them with two big wins.
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"The Fire" showed in the group that included Montenegro that they are a class above the other teams and if they win at least a point against the Faroe Islands tomorrow night in Rijeka, they will mathematically book a ticket to the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.
BiH has a clear calculation - with victories against Romania in Zenica, and then Austria at the Ernst Happel in Vienna, they will play in the World Cup again after 2014. The problem for Sergej Barbarez's team is that they are playing against the two strongest rivals in the group, and in case of both defeats, they could be left without a play-off place.
However, the "dragons" showed in these qualifiers, especially with their victory over Romania in Bucharest (1:0), that they deserve at least a play-off.
"We are facing a very good and technically fast team. But there is nothing to change, the game has to be aggressive. We are playing at home, we can beat them and we have already shown that," said Barbarez.
North Macedonia will play the deciding match on Tuesday in Cardiff against Wales, who have three points more than them, but also a match more, so a draw on the Island will probably be enough for them to make the playoffs. 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 battles with another member of the former Yugoslavia - Slovenia - until the end.
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.
SCHEDULE OF GROUPS WITH REGIONAL TEAMS
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 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 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)
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