France and Spain are down to their last World Cup qualifying matches, and neither is guaran-teed an automatic berth even with a win.
France, Switzerland and Ireland are all capable of winning Group 4, with unbeaten Israel still in the hunt for the second-place playoff spot.
The 1998 champions host Cyprus on Wednesday, while Switzerland goes to Ireland. Israel, which has played all its games, will find out if it clinched a spot in the playoffs on the Holy day of Yom Kippur.
France can win the group with a victory if Switzerland does not win in Dublin. The Swiss can take the group with a win or draw, as long as France draws or loses.
Ireland needs to win and hope France loses or draws.
France coach Raymond Domenech remembers the last time the team failed to qualify for the World Cup. The French needed only a draw from two home games to qualify for the 1994 finals in the US -- but lost both.
After a 3-2 loss to Israel, France lost to Bulgaria 2-1, with Emil Kostadinov scoring with the last kick of the game at Parc des Princes.
"I went into the dressing room after the [Bulgaria] match -- it was atrocious," said Domenech, who was in charge of the under-21 team at the time. "I saw people who were crushed. I still remember it. I don't want to relive it."
France defender Willy Sagnol is available for selection after serving a one-match suspension and could replace Anthony Reveillere at right fullback. Claude Makelele is suspended.
But even if France wins, Switzerland can top the group with a win in Dublin, depending on goal difference.
"The players are fully aware of this," Domenech said. "They know that if the Swiss win in Dublin we will have to score four more goals than them to qualify. But we shouldn't be calculating. I will not be following events in Ireland, it changes nothing.''
Group 7 is another in which nothing has been decided. Spain, which faces San Marino, is trailing Serbia-Montenegro by two points.
Serbia-Montenegro hosts Bosnia-Herzegovina in Belgrade in a match between two Balkan countries that were at war 10 years ago. The Serbs will win the group with a win, but Bosnia can also win the group if it wins and Spain does not.
"We have to play calmly and patiently," said Spain striker Fernando Torres, who scored both goals in Saturday's 2-0 win at Belgium. "It's not good to be in a rush."
Spain will play without suspended midfielder Xavi Hernandez and defender Michel Salgado, while winger Vicente Rodriguez is doubtful with an ankle injury.
In Group 1, the Czech Republic and Romania can still finish second behind the Netherlands. The Czechs face Finland while Romania has finished its qualifying campaign.
Ukraine has won Group 2, with Turkey, Denmark and Greece still fighting for the playoff spot.
Turkey, which reached the semifinals at the 2002 World Cup but failed to qualify for the 2004 European Championship, can advance with a win at Albania. Denmark can advance if beats Kazakhstan and Turkey draws, while Greece needs to beat Georgia and hope Turkey loses and Denmark fails to win.
Greece coach Otto Rehhagel doesn't think the European champions will be able to make it.
"In the stadiums in Germany we will be there as fans," Rehhagel said. "It would have been nice if we were there. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to do it."
Portugal has won Group 3, and either Russia or Slovakia, who face each other in Bratislava, will get the playoff spot.
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