Spain on Sunday clinched their place at Euro 2024 after a 1-0 win away to Norway, also sending Scotland through from Group A, as Turkey joined the growing ranks of qualifiers.
Barcelona midfielder Gavi scored the only goal early in the second half in Oslo, bouncing a shot into the corner to help Spain qualify for next year’s finals in Germany with two games to spare.
“We are very happy because the team has grown a lot and has a great future,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “We have worked to get to this moment.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
They moved top of Group A on goal-difference, but the result ensured Scotland punched their ticket to the tournament as well.
“When we qualified via the playoffs last time, we set ourselves a target of doing it automatically next time — so that’s the first mission accomplished,” Scotland captain Andy Robertson said.
Norway have not qualified for a major competition since Euro 2000, but a team featuring Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard still has hope of advancing to the playoffs.
Georgia thrashed Cyprus 4-0 in the other game in the group.
Turkey capped off a momentous week, in which they were announced as cohosts of Euro 2032 with Italy, by turning on the style in the closing minutes to beat Latvia 4-0 and book their place at the finals.
Yunus Akgun broke the deadlock just before the hour and former Everton forward Cenk Tosun grabbed two late goals either side of a Kerem Akturkoglu strike to complete the victory for the Group D leaders.
“I am very happy that we confirmed [qualification] tonight with this win,” Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella told UEFA.com. “I am perhaps the happiest coach in the world right now. That’s why I’ll enjoy it first, and then we’ll continue our preparations immediately.”
Turkey sit six points clear of Wales, who leapfrogged Croatia into second place as Harry Wilson got both goals in a 2-1 victory over last year’s World Cup semi-finalists in Cardiff.
Wilson outran the Croatia defense to loft in the opening goal shortly after halftime and then glanced in a Dan James cross for the second.
Mario Pasalic reduced the deficit, but Wales now have control of their own destiny heading into the concluding rounds of qualifying games next month.
Croatia find themselves at risk of missing a major tournament for the first time since the 2010 FIFA World Cup after back-to-back defeats.
Switzerland needed two late goals at home to Belarus to rescue a 3-3 draw, but surrendered first place in Group I to Romania.
Xherdan Shaqiri curled Switzerland ahead in St Gallen before Belarus, beaten 5-0 by the same opponents in March, leveled through Max Ebong.
Denis Polyakov nodded Belarus in front at a corner and the visitors looked on course for a shock win when Dmitri Antilevski struck a third in the 84th minute.
Manuel Akanji tapped in from a Shaqiri free-kick to spark the last-ditch comeback for the hosts as substitute Zeki Amdouni saved Switzerland’s blushes, scrambling in a 90th-minute equalizer.
Romania eased to a 4-0 victory over Andorra to move a point clear, but Switzerland have a game in hand after Thursday last week’s trip to Tel Aviv was postponed due to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Sunday’s match between Kosovo and Israel was also called off because of the conflict.
In Plzen, Tomas Soucek’s 76th-minute penalty earned the Czech Republic a narrow 1-0 win over the Faroe Islands, bumping his team up to second in Group E behind Albania.
Poland struggled in the absence of injured striker Robert Lewandowski and had to come from behind to salvage a 1-1 draw against Moldova in Warsaw.
Poland are third in the group, but have played a game more than the top two.
Seven of the 24 slots have now been filled. Germany qualified automatically as hosts while France, Portugal and Belgium all wrapped up their places on Friday.
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