Gab Marcotti believes Italy best have themselves to blame for missing out on automated qualification for the World Cup. (1:35)
Fewer than 8 months after they began, Europe's World Cup qualifiers issued (most) of their verdicts. Ten countries are in, and some other 12 will compete for the last three spots. Some will usually complain about global football getting within the manner of the club season, however we were given this a ways with simply four worldwide breaks -- albeit with two COVID-triggered triple headers -- and, except for individuals who were hoping to go and at the moment are out or teetering on the threshold, I'm no longer positive who can be too disenchanted with the outcome.
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So here are seven thoughts on what went down and what's to come...
1. The right groups have made it, or at the least are not out but
The FIFA ranking is far from best, however it's no longer insignificant as a measure of relative electricity either. The 10 institution winners are all among FIFA's top 15 European international locations, and had it now not been for Jorginho's ignored penalties in the Italy games in opposition to Switzerland or Portugal's implosion against Serbia, 9 of the top 10 would have been group winners.
That's what you need out of your qualifying system: a few stage of uncertainty, however then the cream in the long run rising to the pinnacle. Conversely, Norway are the very best-ranked facet to have didn't make the playoffs and they're 20th in Europe's rating. You can live with that.
2. Even the minnows had some thing to cheer approximately... Maximum of them, besides
Just of the fifty five member countries (sorry, Gibraltar and San Marino, hate to rub it in) failed to report a unmarried factor. Just six of the 55 failed to win as a minimum one sport. Sure, San Marino and their 10-zero domestic defeat to England are sparkling on our minds, and there will be those who will maintain to trot out arguments for pre-qualifying or except the tiny international locations altogether. But we already have the Nations League as a way for countries to play groups on their level and, with any luck, develop.
Read all of the brand new information and reaction from ESPN FC senior creator Gabriele Marcotti.
