After a hectic final day of World Cup qualification across the globe on Tuesday the 14th, 21 teams have now officially qualified for FIFA’s 2014 World Cup in Brazil this June. The 20th FIFA World Cup will be hosted in Brazil in June and July 2014. It is the second time that the country has hosted the event – the first being in 1950 – and it is the first time that it has been held in South America since 1978.
But it was far from easy for many qualifying nations.
England left it to the last game of group qualification to seal their spot with a win over Poland, while Spain and Bosnia also reached the pinnacle of global soccer late. Plenty of big European names haven’t reached the dance yet, with Portugal, France, Sweden and Croatia all in the playoffs.
North and Central America experienced an incredible night as the USA scored twice in injury time to beat Panama 3-2, knocking the devastated Panamanians out and inadvertently sending old foes Mexico through to a playoff with New Zealand.
South America suffered some twists and turns, as 2010 World Cup semifinalists and 2014 favorite Uruguay now have a playoff series with Jordan standing between them and making cup.
Full list of nations who have reached the World Cup playoff scenarios:
But it was far from easy for many qualifying nations.
England left it to the last game of group qualification to seal their spot with a win over Poland, while Spain and Bosnia also reached the pinnacle of global soccer late. Plenty of big European names haven’t reached the dance yet, with Portugal, France, Sweden and Croatia all in the playoffs.
North and Central America experienced an incredible night as the USA scored twice in injury time to beat Panama 3-2, knocking the devastated Panamanians out and inadvertently sending old foes Mexico through to a playoff with New Zealand.
South America suffered some twists and turns, as 2010 World Cup semifinalists and 2014 favorite Uruguay now have a playoff series with Jordan standing between them and making cup.
Full list of nations who have reached the World Cup playoff scenarios:
Africa: No direct qualifiers yet. Playoff contenders (after 1st leg): Ghana lead Egypt 6-1, Burkina Faso lead Algeria 3-2, Ivory Coast lead Senegal 3-1, Nigeria lead Ethiopia 2-1, Tunisia and Cameroon level at 0-0. Qualifiers decided after second legs played in November.
Asia: Qualified: Japan, Australia, South Korea, Iran. Playoff contender: Jordan
Europe: Qualified: Spain, Holland, England, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Russia, Belgium. Playoff contenders: Croatia, Sweden, Romania, Iceland, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine and France (these eight teams will be drawn against each other, and four winners advance to World Cup 2014).
North and Central America: Qualified: Costa Rica, United States, Honduras. Playoff contender: Mexico
Oceania: No direct qualifiers. Playoff contender: New Zealand
South America: Qualified: Argentina, Brazil (hosts), Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Playoff contenders: Uruguay
The World Cup will take place in the summer of 2014.
New Orleans Dominance
The New Orleans Saints have been on fire this season with a staggering 5-1 record, placing first in the NFC South division with ease. Their only loss this season has been to the New England Patriots in a close game. The Patriots, who are also 5-1, ended up defeating the Saints 30-27 by amassing a 17-7 point lead by the first half. The Saints will be hungry for dominance once again in their upcoming game against the Buffalo Bills who are 3-4 on Sunday October 27. The Saints are off to a strong start, and they will be the team to watch in the NFC South division and throughout the playoffs.
Kansas City vs Denver
The AFC West has a lot of eyes on it right now. The Kansas City Chiefs are the last unbeaten team in the NFL with a record of 7-0. Last year, they tallied two wins but with key additions of Alex Smith and new coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs have done a complete 180 this season. Then there’s the Denver Broncos who started the season 6-0 and Peyton Manning breaking records every game. The Broncos’ first lost came against Manning’s former team, the Indianapolis Colts, on Sunday October 20 in Indianapolis, moving the team to a 6-1 record and second in the division. The AFC West is a two team battle for division winner between the Chiefs and Broncos, and the winner may be decided the last game of the season.