France and Portugal both won on Tuesday to secure qualification for next year s World Cup – but Netherlands will not be present at Russia 2018 after missing out on the play-offs.
Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud scored the goals as a nervy France defeated Belarus 2-1 in Paris to make sure of top spot in Group A.
Sweden finished second in the table despite losing 2-0 to the Netherlands, who needed to score at least seven goals and win by six to secure a top-two spot.
They managed to find the net only twice in Amsterdam, both from Arjen Robben in the first half, meaning they will miss a World Cup for the first time since 2002.
F R A N C E
— Equipe de France (@equipedefrance)
1986 The Netherlands have failed to qualify for consecutive major tournaments for the first time since 1984 1986. Crisis.
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan)
Portugal and Switzerland met in Lisbon to decide who would triumph in Group B. Cristiano Ronaldo s European champions ran out 2-0 winners, meaning they finish on top courtesy of their superior goal difference.
Defeat means the Swiss will have to negotiate a two-legged play-off staged in November to qualify, though they will be seeded when the draw is made in Zurich on October 17.
| FT
Group B
Portugal 2-0 Switzerland
Hungary 1-0 Faroe Islands
Latvia 4-0 Andorra
— #WCQ (@FIFAWorldCup)
Switzerland will, therefore, avoid coming up against fellow seeds Croatia, Denmark and Italy, with Northern Ireland, Sweden, Republic of Ireland and Greece who finished second in Group H the other nations involved.
With Greece winning 4-0 at home to Gilbraltar to move to 19 points, Slovakia are the unfortunate second-placed nation to miss out on a play-off berth.
As well as France and Portugal, Belgium, England, Germany, Iceland, Poland, Serbia and Spain all clinched automatic qualification for the tournament by winning their respective groups.
