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The 2026 World Cup is getting closer as some of the World Cup qualifiers are over and some of the biggest national teams already qualified for the next edition that will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. Lionel Messi's Argentina, the 2022 world champions, will try to defend their title in 2026 while other South American historical teams such as Brazil or Uruguay have already clinched their spot. However, the European qualifiers are still behind compared to the others with a ways to go in qualifiyng, and some of the biggest teams are risking their place in the most important soccer tournament that takes place every four years. Let's take a look at the panic meter and who is seriously risking the chance to play the World Cup in 2026. 

Germany

The team coached by Julian Nagelsmann had a disappointing start to the group stage as the European giants lost 2-0 to Slovakia and then won their second game against Northern Ireland. In those games, they showed some challenges they are facing right now. They struggled in the first match and conceded without scoring, and they don't seem to have found a real connection with the manager since he was appointed. But, if things go in the right way in the coming matches, there are still a lot of chances for them to qualify directly and win the group, as the second place in the group stage would mean they will have to face the playoffs before securing a spot at the World Cup. Germany have the talent needed to avoid that but they need to prove it in the matches that will take place in October and November. Panic level: 6/10

Italy 

The Italian national team is facing a nightmare once again. The Azzurri missed the last two World Cups in Russia and Qatar, the first time it ever happened, and there are still some chances to see them not qualify in 2026, despite winning the 2020 UEFA Euro under Roberto Mancini, who later lost to North Macedonia in the playoffs ahead of the World Cup in 2022. Luciano Spalletti took charge of the team in 2023 and after a disappointing Euro 2024 in Germany, the Italian manager lost 3-0 in the opening game of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Norway. The Italian FA decided to appoint another coach, former 2006 World Cup winner Gennaro Gattuso, who started off his spell with two wins against Estonia and Israel, a crazy 5-4 win in the latter. However, Norway are in  great form, and it's almost impossible for the Azzurri to win this group and there are massive chances to see them playing their third playoff in a row. Panic level: 8/10

Turkiye

Group E is by far one of the most exciting to watch in the 2026 UEFA World Cup qualifiers as Spain, Georgia and Turkiye are all together. The team coached by Vincenzo Montella, one of the most talented ones, won the key match against Georgia in their debut but then lost 6-0 to Spain, while Georgia won against Bulgaria. At this stage, both teams have an equal chance of reaching the play-offs, assuming Spain secures the top spot in the group as expected. However, if Montella's side fails to qualify, it would go down as one of the biggest disappointments in the national team's recent history, especially given the quality and potential of the current squad.Panic level: 7/10