Croatian players, officials and their relatives celebrate their team's qualification for the World Cup at the end of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers football match between Croatia and Faroe Islands at the Stadion HNK in Rijeka, on November 14, 2025. STRINGER / AFP
Croatia booked their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in North America with an unconvincing 3-1 win over the in-form Faroe Islands on Friday, November 14, as the Netherlands all but booked their spot in the finals too. Germany's qualification hopes still rest on their final qualification match on Monday at home to Slovakia despite a Nick Woltemade brace giving them a labored 2-0 win at Luxembourg. But it was a night when the underdogs struck fear into more illustrious opponents, without managing to strike a telling blow.
The Faroes, who were on a three-match winning run coming into their Group L encounter in Rijeka and still harbored faint hopes of qualification, had the audacity to take the lead against the 2018 World Cup finalists, who only needed a draw to progress.
Geza David Turi picked up the ball just inside the Croatia half and strode forwards unmolested before trying his luck from outside the box and benefiting from a heavy deflection to beat Dominik Livakovic in the Croatia goal on 16 minutes. The lead lasted only seven minutes before Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol lashed in an equaliser after some hesitant Faroes defending.
