Wales emerged as the sole leader of Group J in the European World Cup qualifiers after defeating football minnows Liechtenstein on Friday, while Norway maintained their top spot in Group I with a 3-0 victory against Italy.
In Cardiff, Wales secured a 3-0 win with goals from Joe Rodon in the 40th minute, Harry Wilson in the 66th, and Kieffer Moore in the 69th. The win gives Wales seven points from three matches, placing them ahead of Belgium, who have five points, after drawing 1-1 in North Macedonia. Kazakhstan, with three points, and Liechtenstein, with none, complete the group.
Simultaneously, Norway dominated Italy in a Group I clash, winning 3-0. This was achieved through goals by Alexander Sørloth in the 14th minute, Antonio Nusa in the 34th, and Erling Haaland in the 42nd. Norway now sits comfortably at the top with a perfect nine out of nine points, eyeing their first major tournament appearance in over 25 years since Euro 2000. They are followed in the standings by Israel with six points, Estonia with three, and Italy and Moldova, both yet to score.
In Group L, Croatia dismantled Gibraltar with a 7-0 victory in their first qualifying match, moving to third place. The Czech Republic leads the group with nine points, trailed by Montenegro with six, Croatia with three, and both the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar yet to score.
Only the 12 group winners from the European qualifiers will directly advance to the final tournament in North America, while the runners-up will compete in play-offs for the remaining four spots.
