Nigeria will take on Gabon and Cameroon will play the Democratic Republic of Congo in the World Cup African playoff semifinals next month, the latest Fifa rankings have confirmed.

The four countries all advanced to the playoffs as the best runners-up across the nine African groups.

There is the possibility of an added slot for Africa at next year’s finals with the winners of next month’s playoffs advancing to an intercontinental playoff tournament in March from which the last two World Cup places will be decided.

The pairings for the African playoffs have the highest-ranked team in the Fifa rankings of October 23 playing the lowest-ranked, while the second-highest face the third-highest.

Fifa, however, issued the October rankings on Friday, earlier than it had previously scheduled.

Nigeria rose to 41st with Cameroon 54th and DR Congo 60th.

Gabon jumped two places to 77th from the September 18 rankings.

The semis will be on November 13 before a deciding match three days later, with the winners progressing.

Morocco is hosting next month’s playoffs but the venues are yet to be announced.

The group phase of the African qualifiers concluded on Tuesday with all the group winners qualifying automatically for next year's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the US

South Africa’s World Cup qualification has bizarrely seen Bafana Bafana fall four places in the latest Fifa rankings, which the world football’s governing body issued on Friday.

South Africa went from 55th to 59th in the standings despite their 3-0 hammering of Rwanda in Nelspruit on Tuesday, which saw them finish top of Group C and qualify for next year’s World Cup in North America.

The rankings will have also taken into account a goalless draw ‘away’ against Zimbabwe, even if the match was played at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Of the seven African countries who have qualified for the 2026 World Cup since the last rankings (Morocco and Tunisia qualified earlier in September), only South Africa and Cape Verde dropped in the rankings. Cape Verde dropped one place to 71st.

Morocco is the best-ranked African team in 12th place in the world rankings, followed by Senegal (18), Egypt (32), Algeria (35), and Nigeria in 41st place.

The Super Eagles went up in the rankings despite not qualifying for the World Cup, but wins over Lesotho and Benin saw them reach the four-team African playoffs for the best runners-up next month.

South Africa is 10th in the Africa rankings behind two non-qualifiers, Mali (53) and Cameroon (54).

The lowest-ranked of the nine African teams heading to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States is Ghana, who are 73rd in the world and 14th in Africa.

Spain strengthened their grip on top spot thanks to back-to-back victories, shoring up the position they seized in the previous instalment when they ended Argentina’s reign that stretched back to April 2023. World champions Argentina are up to second above France in third place.

The biggest gains come further down the standings. Niger (108th), Lesotho (144th) and the Faroe Islands (127th) have all climbed nine places.

Patrick Kluivert's stint as Indonesia coach is over after they "mutually" agreed to part ways on Thursday following a failed bid to reach the World Cup.

Indonesia's hopes of qualifying for the tournament in North America next year ended with defeats to Iraq and Saudi Arabia in the past week.

The 49-year-old Netherlands and Barcelona great, who was only appointed in January, was in charge for just eight matches.

He won three of his games in charge, losing four and drawing one.

Writing on Instagram, Kluivert called it "an unforgettable journey".

He added: "Even though I'm deeply disappointed and sorry for the fact that we didn't make it to the World Cup, I'll always be proud of what we built together."

Setelah bekerja bersama-sama secara intensif selama hampir 12 bulan, PSSI menyampaikan apresiasi setinggi-tingginya kepada Coach Patrick Kluivert dan para stafnya atas dedikasi dan kontribusi mereka bagi sepak bola Indonesia.

Setelah melalui diskusi yang terbuka dan penuh rasa… pic.twitter.com/Y1Y1Q8rDHb

— PSSI (@PSSI) October 16, 2025

The Dutchman took over following the controversial sacking of South Korean Shin Tae-yong.

The former striker signed a two-year contract at the start of the year, tasked with taking Indonesia to their first World Cup since gaining independence in 1945.

The Football Association of Indonesia, PSSI, said Kluivert's departure was "through mutual termination".

"This step was taken as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the national football coaching and development programme," it added.

The statement did not name Kluivert's successor.

🚨 BREAKING:

PSSI have confirmed that Patrick Kluivert and his coaching team have 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 with the Indonesia national team!

😳 pic.twitter.com/HOx6bivRlR

— Football Indonesia (@ftblindonesia) October 16, 2025

Amsterdam-born Kluivert retired as a player in 2008 after a stellar career that started at Ajax, where he won the Champions League, before moves to AC Milan and Barcelona.

Kluivert's managerial career has not been nearly as spectacular.

His previous coaching role was in charge of Adana Demirspor in Turkey for five months in 2023.

Before that he was caretaker manager of Curacao in 2021.

He was also No 2 to Louis van Gaal with the Dutch national side in 2012-2014.

List of teams already qualified for the 48-team 2026 World Cup as of Tuesday:

HOST NATIONS

Canada, Mexico, United States

Africa

Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

Asia

Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

Europe

England

Oceania

New Zealand

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

Qatar beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 on Tuesday to book their spot in the 2026 World Cup.

Only victory in their final round four qualifying match would have sufficed to send Qatar to football's showpiece tournament, and second-half strikes by Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel sealed the deal in Doha despite a late Sultan Adil goal for the UAE.

Full Time.

Qatar (2) : (1) UAE

Together we believed, Together we achieved!!🤍🇶🇦#AlAnnabi to World Cup 2026!🏆☑️ pic.twitter.com/DkHbqtxORi

— Qatar Football Association (@QFA_EN) October 14, 2025

Akram Afif, the two-time Asian Player of the Year, got both assists.

The win meant Qatar, winners of the past two Asian Cups, finished top of Group A in the fourth round of Asian qualification and therefore booked their place in next summer's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The UAE, who needed only a draw to progress to a second World Cup in their history, will next month meet the loser of the Group B decider between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in a two-legged tie, with the winner going into an intercontinental playoff.

Here we go again!🎬

Champion of the biggest continent 🌏
Heading to the FIFA World Cup 2026! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/D9n2filTcA

— Qatar Football Association (@QFA_EN) October 14, 2025

The Saudis host Iraq in Jeddah later on Tuesday where the former also require only a draw to advance.

It was Qatar, coached by former Spain, Real Madrid and West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui, who created the first chance of the clash with the UAE, Sultan Al Brake forcing a fine, close-range save from Khalid Essa as Ayoub Al Ouwi flashed the rebound wide.

Not long after, UAE defender Lucas Pimenta headed inches wide from a Caio Lucas cross.

At the other end, Mohammad Al Mannai headed off target from Edmilson Junior's brilliant cross from the right. Completely unmarked, the Belgian-born forward should have scored.

However, Qatar were celebrating four minutes into the second half, when Khoukhi met Afif's in-swinging free-kick to head past Essa.

Boualem Khoukhi strikes first for #AlAnnabi!🔥⚽️

pic.twitter.com/Ca64LTP2CY

— Qatar Football Association (@QFA_EN) October 14, 2025

The hosts then doubled their lead in the 74th minute from yet another set-piece, this time Essa misjudging an Afif free-kick to leave Pedro Miguel to head into the empty net at the back post.

Late on, Qatar had Tarek Salman sent off for a studs-up tackle, before, in the eighth minute of injury-time, UAE substitute Sultan Adil reduced the deficit with a fine volley.

Qatar, who made unwelcome history in 2022 by becoming the first World Cup hosts to lose all three group games, saw out the match to take their place on merit at the 2026 edition.

Marcus Rashford has shown in training that he has all the tools to become one of the world's best players but the forward must improve his numbers on the pitch if he is to live up to his potential, England coach Thomas Tuchel said.

Rashford moved to Barcelona on loan in July after falling out of favour with Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim, who had called his work rate into question.

The 27-year-old, who has 18 goals in 64 appearances for England, has had a promising start to life in Spain, scoring three goals and registering five assists in 10 appearances.

"The limit for him is very, very high. Maybe higher than for others," Tuchel told reporters on Monday. "He has the potential, but potential is a dangerous word with high-level sports. You have to reach your personal best on a regular basis.

"It's not a question of talent, it's a question of whether he can prove the point at club and international level ... He can be one of the best in the world. The quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head.

"He is explosive, he is fast, he is strong in the air so where are the limits? There are no limits, but the numbers don't reach the potential. He needs to push himself into goal involvements."

Group K leaders England play Latvia in a World Cup qualifier in Riga later on Tuesday, where a win would secure a place at next year's finals in North America.

Italy must beware Israel's quality in a match that could secure a World Cup playoff berth, coach Gennaro Gattuso said on Monday, vowing not to repeat the errors that turned last month's meeting into a frantic end-to-end game.

With a 3-1 win in Estonia last week, Italy boosted their hopes of finishing second in Group I and will face Israel on Tuesday in the northern Italian city of Udine.

Norway top the group with 18 points from six games, while Gattuso's side have 12 points with a match in hand on their rivals. They are three points clear of Israel, who, after Tuesday's clash, have only one game left to play, compared with the Azzurri's two.

The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup with the runners-up going into the playoffs.

"They'll throw everything at it and will surely play on the front foot. From midfield up, with their quality, they can cause us problems," Gattuso told a news conference.

Gattuso will be without striker Moise Kean, forced off injured against Estonia, and suspended defender Alessandro Bastoni.

Four-time world champions Italy are looking to return to football's showpiece tournament for the first time since 2014, having missed two editions in a row in what was seen as a disaster for the soccer-mad country.

Gattuso's predecessor, Luciano Spalletti, who was sacked in June following a heavy defeat by Norway, said on Sunday he was impressed by the team's turnaround and was sure Gattuso would achieve what he wanted from the team.

Gattuso thanked Spalletti but said World Cup qualification was still far from being achieved and he had not even discussed a potential playoff with the players.

"The only sure thing is death; everything else has to be earned, you have to work for it," he said.

HIGH SECURITY

The World Cup qualifier will be played under tight security as a pro-Palestinian march will go ahead on the day of the game in the city centre, even after Israel and militant group Hamas agreed a deal to end the war in Gaza.

"I hope (peace) will last forever. There is nothing worse than what we have seen in the last two years," Gattuso said.

Organisers expect up to 10 000 people to attend the march, which will take place several kilometres away from the stadium, located in Udine's northern outskirts. Over 9 000 people have bought tickets for the match, the Italian soccer federation said.

Many residents and shopkeepers in Udine are confident there will not be trouble, but others fear violent elements could infiltrate the demonstrations, as has happened elsewhere in Italy in recent weeks.

"I haven't decided yet whether to stay open. I'm afraid they might cause some damage," said Francesco Ursic, who runs a kitchenware shop.

Moise Kean will miss Italy's key World Cup qualifier against Israel after failing to recover from an ankle injury, the country's football federation said on Monday.

"Tests carried out this morning showed that the Fiorentina attacker hasn't fully recovered from the injury suffered to his right ankle during Saturday's match with Estonia," the FIGC said.

Kean's absence is a blow for Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso as the 25-year-old has scored six times in his last four matches for his country, including the opening goal in the 3-1 win over Estonia over the weekend.

Kean netted in the fifth minute of the Group I fixture in Tallinn but had to be replaced by Pio Esposito shortly afterwards due to an awkward fall which caused an ankle sprain.

Italy sit second in the five-team group, six points behind leaders Norway and three ahead of third-placed Israel with a game in hand on both.

A win in Udine on Tuesday will secure Italy at least second place and a spot in the play-offs, with only first giving direct qualification for next year's finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

However, Italy, who have three fixtures left to play, would need Norway to slip up against Estonia next month to have any realistic chance of finishing top, due to the huge gap in goal difference between the Azzurri and Erling Haaland and company.

Italy host Norway in their final group fixture, at the San Siro on 16 November.

Tuesday's match has been overshadowed by the prospect of a pro-Palestinian demonstration, with as many as 10 000 people expected to take part in a march through Udine in protest at the staging of the fixture.

The demonstrations will be in response to Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, which was sparked by the attack by Hamas militants on 7 October 2023, on nearby Israeli communities.

During massive strike action in support of the Palestinians earlier this month, demonstrators went to the Italian national team's training centre in Florence to demand the match be called off.

Udine's mayor Alberto Felice De Toni has also asked for the match to be postponed over fears of potential violence in the small city, in Italy's far north-east.

Spain forward Dani Olmo has been ruled out of the European champions' upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) said on Friday.

The Barcelona forward trained on Friday in a bid to be passed fit for Saturday's match with Georgia, but after some tests he was diagnosed with a muscle injury in his left leg.

The RFEF said that he would return to Barcelona when the rest of Luis de la Fuente's squad travels to Elche to continue their qualification bid.

Spain can secure a place at next year's finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada with back-to-back wins in this international window, if other results in Group E go their way.

La Roja are expected to be title contenders for a second World Cup crown, but De la Fuente wants his players to focus on the job at hand.

"I'm not worried about anything. First, let's qualify. And then we'll think about it (winning the World Cup)," he said.

"We have to take the drama out of defeats and results. Being a champion is very difficult."

Spain lead their qualifying group by three points from Georgia and Turkey, after opening their campaign with crushing 6-0 and 3-0 away wins over the Turks and Bulgaria respectively last month.

Stellenbosch midfielder Andre de Jong made a return to the New Zealand national team on Thursday, getting his first run-out for the All Whites in more than two years.

He came on as a second-half substitute in the friendly international against Poland in Chorzow, which New Zealand lost 1-0.

It was a first cap for the 28-year-old in three years as De Jong has been surprisingly overlooked by New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley, despite his strong performances in helping the Winelands club finish third in the Betway Premiership last season and also reach the semifinal of the African Confederation Cup.

De Jong had 20 minutes to make an impression as he seeks to stake his claim for a berth in New Zealand’s squad for next year’s World Cup.

Poland took the lead just after halftime with a well-taken goal from captain Piotr Zieliński. The Inter Milan midfielder collected the ball on the edge of the box, turned neatly, and fired a rocket goalward, the ball cannoning in off the crossbar.

Speaking after the match, Bazeley was pleased with the overall performance but disappointed his side could not capitalise on their chances:

“It's tough to take, you know. I feel like I keep saying it, in the changing room with the players and then to the media. There are a lot of good things from the game. We do a lot of good things in and out of possession, and we have our moments.

“We have to be more clinical and ruthless, and we’ve got to start rewarding ourselves for some of the possession and play that we’re producing now,” he said.

De Jong will be hoping for an extended run when New Zealand take on Norway in Oslo on Tuesday.

Thomas Tuchel blasted England's "silent" fans for failing to back his team loudly enough during their 3-0 friendly win over Wales at Wembley on Thursday.

Tuchel's side delivered an eye-catching first-half display as Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka all netted inside the first 20 minutes.

England's swaggering performance, which followed a 5-0 demolition of Serbia in a crucial World Cup qualifier in September, was a promising sign as they gear up for next year's World Cup.

But Tuchel took exception to what he felt was a tepid response from England supporters in the sell-out crowd.

"We did very, very well. We had an excellent first half, we were 3-0 up very quickly, but could have been four or five. Then we couldn't score the fourth one or the fifth one and the stadium was silent," Tuchel told ITV.

"Silent! We never got any energy back from the fans and I think the players delivered a lot to get more from the fans.

"It was difficult to keep everything going in the second half, but we did excellent and deserved to win. A step in the right direction."

Tuchel's frustration was exacerbated by hearing Wales backed by 7 000 raucous fans, who never stopped cheering their team even though they were completely out-classed.

The German may also have been letting off steam after he was jeered by England fans at the City Ground in Nottingham following a shock friendly loss against Senegal in June.

Asked if he expected more from supporters at Wembley when England were playing so well, Tuchel responded: "Yeah, what more can you give in 20 minutes? Three goals, the way we attacked Wales and didn't let them escape.

"Even in their own half, ball win after ball win after ball win. If you only hear Wales fans for half an hour, it's a bit sad because I think the team deserved big support today."

England are on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup and could be certain to progress to the tournament if they win in Latvia on Tuesday, depending on other results in Group K.

Former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss Tuchel has now won six of his seven games since replacing Gareth Southgate.

He is the third England manager after Glenn Hoddle and Sven-Goran Eriksson to win that many of his first seven matches.

After a slow start to his reign, Tuchel is beginning to build a dynamic side.

He was encouraged by the way they swatted aside Wales despite the absence of injured captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden, who were all left out of the squad.

"We are ready for any team effort. Serbia was the next example of teamwork. We created a lot of chances," he said.

"We could use Harry all the time, but we need to play without Harry and Jude, the guys are injured. I think we played an excellent first half."

The Czech Republic battled to a goalless draw in their World Cup qualifier against Croatia on Thursday, holding off the group leader's who poured on the pressure in the final minutes in search of a winner.

Both teams defended with discipline throughout the match as they looked to avoid big mistakes, with players quickly shutting down attacks in dangerous areas and not giving up many goal-scoring chances.

The Czechs, learning their lesson from a 5-1 away drubbing by Croatia in June, pressed high from the start, with midfielder Pavel Sulc missing an early opportunity with a shot straight at Croatian keeper Dominik Livakovic.

Ivan Perisic spurned a pair of chances in the opening half for the visitors, including a shot from inside the penalty area that he fired over the goal. He later missed a header that he nodded straight into the keeper's hands.

Croatia, who marked coach Zlatko Dalic's 100th match in charge of the national side, wore the Czechs down in the second half.

The result leaves both sides top of Group L with 13 points, but with Croatia ahead on goal difference. In the group's other fixture on Thursday, the Faroe Islands thrashed Montenegro 4-0.

Striker Rasmus Hojlund and substitute Anders Dreyer both netted twice as Denmark roared to a 6-0 win over Belarus in their World Cup qualifying clash on Thursday that leaves them top of Group C on goal difference.

With Belarus banned from playing at home since March 2022 for facilitating Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the game took place behind closed doors in Hungary, and when Victor Froholdt gave the Danes the lead in the 14th minute, their celebrations echoed around the empty ground.

The 19-year-old turned provider five minutes later, steering the ball into the path of Hojlund for a close-range finish to make it 2-0, with the goal allowed to stand after a lengthy VAR check for offside.

Hojlund doubled his tally before the break, reacting quickest as Patrick Dorgu's shot came back off the post to steer the ball into the net, and he set up Dorgu for the fourth goal in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time.

The second half brought no improvement in Belarus's fortunes. Dreyer added a fifth in the 66th minute, and he scored again with a shot that squirmed under the body of goalkeeper Fedor Lapoukhov 12 minutes later to complete the rout.

The Danes top Group C on seven points, ahead of Scotland on goal difference. Scotland beat Greece 3-1 at home. The Greeks are third on three points, with Belarus bottom of the group having failed to secure a point so far.

Scotland stunned Greece with a 3-1 home win in their Group C qualifier on Thursday to take a big step towards a first World Cup since 1998 on a night that saw manager Steve Clarke equal the national record for most games in charge.

Goals from Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson and Lyndon Dykes turned the game around for the hosts after Kostas Tsimikas had given Greece a deserved lead just past the hour mark.

The Tartan Army had nothing to celebrate in the first half at Hampden Park when they failed to muster a shot on target, with the visitors dominating possession but squandering opportunities.

The qualifier turned on its head after the break with Tsimikas scoring for Greece in the 62nd before Christie fired up the crowd with a surprise equaliser two minutes later after a VAR review.

Ferguson then grabbed a scruffy but sweet first international goal in the 80th and Dykes made it 3-1 three minutes into stoppage time after a goalkeeping howler by Konstantinos Tzolakis.

Vangelos Pavlidis could have scored for Greece in the eighth minute but, unmarked at the back post, failed to get a final touch to a pass across goal from captain Anastasios Bakasetas. Georgios Masouras also fired over in the 54th.

The match was Clarke's 71st at the helm, and he will beat Craig Brown's record when his still-unbeaten side host Belarus on Sunday.

Scotland are level on seven points with group leaders Denmark after three games. Greece, the 2004 European champions, have three points and are teetering on the brink of an early exit with a crucial game away to the Danes on Sunday.

Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo converted two penalties while Tijjani Reijnders and Memphis Depay also scored in a 4-0 win away to Malta on Thursday as the Dutch opened up a three-point lead in World Cup qualifying Group G.

The victory moved the Netherlands to 13 points ahead of second-placed Poland, who have also played five matches, and Finland, who have 10 points from six games.

The result puts the Dutch closer to World Cup qualification with a home game against Finland in Amsterdam on Sunday, giving them a chance to consolidate their position.

Gakpo converted the first spot kick after 12 minutes and the second four minutes into the second half before teeing up Reijnders for the third goal in the 57th. Depay netted a header in stoppage time to wrap up a comfortable win.

England racked up an eighth successive victory against Wales with a 3-0 cruise in an international friendly at Wembley on Thursday to fully justify head coach Thomas Tuchel's decision to omit some leading lights from his squad.

Goals by Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka effectively ended the match as a contest with only 20 minutes on the clock, as a feeble Wales were left reeling.

Rogers side-footed England's first after three minutes and Watkins, starting in place of injured skipper Harry Kane, tapped home the second before Saka, back from injury, curled in the third.

Wales avoided further damage and did improve slightly after the break, but will already have had one eye on next Monday's vital World Cup qualifier against Belgium in Cardiff.

England face Latvia away next Tuesday when they could clinch top spot in their group and automatic qualification for next year's finals in North America.

Casemiro will don the captain's armband for the 17th time in Brazil's friendly against South Korea on Friday, with the experienced midfielder embracing his leadership role both on and off the pitch under manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Back in the squad since the Italian's arrival after a long period away, Casemiro has been a key figure for Brazil since his international debut in 2011 and will resume his captaincy after a two-year hiatus.

His last outing as skipper came in October 2023 against Uruguay, but Ancelotti, who was his coach for several years at Real Madrid, has decided to reinstate him as the leader of Brazil's young squad preparing for the 2026 World Cup.

"I am one of those players who thinks that there are several leaders, several ways of leading. Each one leads in their own way. I like to give more examples of how to do things - how to arrive, how to be, where to be, how to work," Casemiro told a press conference on Thursday.

🚨 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃: Casemiro takes on the Brazil NT armband with Alisson and Marquinhos both absent. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/NvKpRIM7yt

— UtdTruthful (@Utdtruthful) October 9, 2025

The 33-year-old, who moved to English side Manchester United in 2022, acknowledged his prior relationship with Ancelotti helped establish the trust that he could lead the team.

"Without a doubt, my relationship with the coach, whom I have known for over 10 years, creates a greater affinity. But I like to show it - being the first, being at the gym, setting an example for the younger players," he added.

Brazil will follow Friday's match in Seoul with another friendly against Japan on Tuesday at Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium, as Ancelotti continues to refine his squad ahead of next year's tournament.

Italy midfielder Bryan Cristante is hopeful that the announcement of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Thursday will lead to a full stadium for his side's upcoming World Cup qualifier against Israel.

Italy host Israel in Udine on Tuesday, and the expectation has been to see more people outside the ground than inside the Stadio Friuli, with large groups of pro-Palestinian protesters set to gather in the city.

As of Wednesday, according to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), 4 000 tickets have been sold for a stadium with a capacity of over 25 000.

Israel and Hamas signed an agreement to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war in Gaza.

"We're all extremely happy about this news which came out this morning," Cristante told reporters.

"It was what we all wanted and we hope that in Udine the stadium will be full because we need our supporters to give us that extra push, that extra gear which comes from having a packed stadium cheering for us, as they always have."

More than 67 000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led militants stormed through Israeli towns and a music festival on October 7, 2023, killing 1 200 people and capturing 251 hostages.

Italy also played Israel in Udine last October, with an attendance of 11 700 for the Nations League fixture, where protests, boycotts and large security measures kept many fans away.

One year on, and with Italy witnessing general strikes and large pro-Palestinian protest marches across the peninsula, with demonstrators clashing with police in Milan and Rome, tensions around the game are even higher.

Italy defeated Israel 5-4 when the sides met in the neutral venue of Debrecen, Hungary, in September, where the few Italian fans present turned their backs to the pitch during the Israeli national anthem.

Before they arrive in Italy, Israel play Norway in Oslo on Saturday, with Italy away to Estonia the same day. Norway top Group 1 with 15 points from five games, Italy are second on nine points after four matches, level with Israel, who have played a game more.

The group winners will qualify automatically for next year's World Cup, with the runners-up advancing to the playoffs.

Player attitude counts for more than tactical strategy, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Thursday as he aims to make the five-time world champions once again a major force on the global stage.

With limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the Italian coach is relying on team spirit and individual talent to overcome challenges with the World Cup in North America approaching next year.

Speaking ahead of Brazil's friendly against South Korea on Friday in Seoul, Ancelotti said that tactical development has been hindered by a lack of training sessions with the full squad.

"I think more tactical work is needed to refine game strategy. All of this can be very important, but the most important part is not the strategy, it is the attitude of the players on the pitch. For that, it doesn't take much time to prepare," Ancelotti told a press conference.

In his first four matches in charge, Ancelotti has alternated between a 4-2-4 formation, which yielded victories over Paraguay and Chile, and a 4-3-3 system used in a draw with Ecuador and a loss to Bolivia at the 4 100 metres altitude of El Alto last month.

Despite mixed results, he expressed satisfaction with Brazil's defensive organisation.

"I really liked the team's defensive play in June and September. The team defended very well - compact, united, committed, intense," Ancelotti said.

"Where the team needs to improve is with the ball in possession. The team has to show the individual quality it has, and we have a lot of it.

"You can play with four, three, or five in attack, but what matters is the quality shown on the pitch. What I really like is the team atmosphere. It's very positive because of the players' attitude and professionalism."

Ancelotti also stressed that the team must be united if they are to win a record-extending sixth World Cup.

"Each of us thinks about the goal, which is very clear: we have to win the World Cup, not be the best player in the world. I want players who think they want to be in the World Cup to win, not to be the best," he added.

Brazil will play another friendly against Japan at Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium on Tuesday.

France captain Kylian Mbappe said Thursday he was feeling relaxed with his life in Madrid and was in good shape as his nation seeks to move to the brink of World Cup qualification as they face Azerbaijan in Paris.

Mbappe had received treatment for a "small niggle" in his right ankle picked up playing for Real Madrid last weekend.

"The coach (Didier Deschamps) wants me to play. I don't think there will be a major problem," Mbappe told reporters on Thursday.

Deschamps added: "It's not prohibitive; it depends more on his sensitivity regarding his ankle."

Mbappe said he was feeling "more relaxed" in his life, having fully settled into life in the Spanish capital since joining Real from Paris Saint-Germain last season.

"A career can have some slightly more complicated years, years where you have a little more hardship," he said.

"But in life, I think I've adapted well to Madrid. This isn't an attack on France, but it's true that I'm more relaxed there. In Madrid, the lifestyle is different. It's less hectic than in Paris.

"I've managed to score goals. But I think that moreover in my game I'm also in a good mood, even if I think I can still do better," he said.

Deschamps urged his players not to underestimate Azerbaijan.

"Certainly, they're not among the best European teams, but they're coming off a draw against Ukraine," said Deschamps.

"Seven of their players play for Qarabag," which has won its first two Champions League pool matches, added the France coach.

Les Bleus are top of their group with two wins from two so far in qualifying. They host Azerbaijan on Friday at PSG's Parc des Princes stadium before travelling to Iceland three days later.