Azerbaijan concludes FIFA World Cup Qualifying

Azerbaijan has concluded the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying, Azernews reports.

Renat Dadashov scored for Azerbaijan in the 4th minute. France responded with goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 17th minute and Akliouche in the 30th minute.

An own goal by Shahruddin Mahammadaliyev in the 45th minute also counted for France.

France topped Group D with 16 points; Azerbaijan finished last with one point.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group D was one of twelve groups in the European qualifying tournament that determined which teams would secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Group D included Azerbaijan, France, Iceland, and Ukraine. The teams competed in a home-and-away round-robin format between September and November 2025.

France, as the group winners, qualified directly for the World Cup, while the second-placed team, Ukraine, progressed to the second round (play-offs).

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. It will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries; the main host country of matches is the United States, while Canada and Mexico will co-host. The tournament will be the first to be hosted by three nations.