The first nations from UEFA could secure their place at next year’s World Cup during this window, and additional spots for sides from CONCACAF, Africa, and Asia will be decided. There’s plenty at stake over the next few days and in this edition of The Assist, you can find all the upcoming matches you need to know about.In truth, tonight’s meeting between old foes England and Wales, at Wembley, is something of an anomaly during this international break - it being a friendly played while both nations have more important games coming up on the horizon.Thomas Tuchel’s squad selection implies that we can still expect some experimentation, both in this fixture, and next Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier in Latvia. In between that, the Three Lions will also need to keep an eye on the key game between Serbia and Albania, their main Group K rivals, scheduled for Saturday night.With the right combination of results, England could even qualify for the 2026 finals this week. For that to happen, England need to beat Latvia and hope Serbia fail to win their matches against Albania and Andorra.For Wales, next Monday’s meeting with Belgium is far more crucial than tonight - albeit, we’re sure that Craig Bellamy would love for his Wales side to end their 40-year wait for a victory over their most hated neighbours.Both the Red Dragons and Belgium’s Red Devils trail Group J leaders Macedonia by a single point, meaning a win would keep them in the hunt for an automatic World Cup berth, or at least, put them in a stronger position to take the playoff spot.Greece know what it’s like to silence the famous ‘Hampden Roar,’ as it has been dubbed through the decades. Indeed, it was only a few months ago that they beat Scotland on their own patch, securing their Nations League promotion at the expense of Steve Clarke’s side. The stakes will be even higher when the two teams meet again on Thursday.In a four team World Cup qualifying group as competitive as the one Greece and Scotland have landed in, there is no room for a misstep. A defeat for either team would be catastrophic, especially for Greece who suffered a 3-0 loss at home to group leaders Denmark in their last outing. It would also be difficult to envisage Scotland finishing top should they lose on Thursday.This is the sharpest of knife-edge matches Scotland have played in years, since their last World Cup qualifying campaign which ended with a disappointing defeat to Ukraine in the playoffs. Even if Scotland win on Thursday, the ‘Hampden Roar’ might be quietened by the sheer nervousness of the occasion.The match could be a referendum on Clarke’s entire time as national team manager, certainly the latter part. While the 62-year-old succeeded in ending Scotland’s long wait for a major tournament appearance, qualifying for the last two Euros, the World Cup remains the golden carrot he has yet to bite.Group I is perhaps the most exciting group in UEFA World Cup qualifying (or nerve wracking, depending on your allegiance). This is the group containing Norway and Italy, two nations who know better than most what it feels like to miss out on the finals.And this weekend, Norway’s current ‘Golden Generation’ containing Haaland, Ødegaard, Nusa, Sørloth, Bobb, and others, have the opportunity to lead their nation back to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.To do so now, Norway need to win their game - against Israel on Saturday night, and watch to see what Italy do across matches, vs. Estonia on Saturday, and vs. Israel on Tuesday.Should the Azzurri drop points, that’s it. Gennaro Gattuso’s rescue mission will have failed, and their only chance of avoiding a third straight failure to qualify will rest on finishing second in the group and going through the lottery of the playoffs. A route that has not been successful for them in the past.Elsewhere in UEFA; France, Croatia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal can all secure their place at next years finals this week. BUT they all require a combination of at least one victory from their own fixtures, plus multiple favourable results elsewhere in their respective groups.Cape Verde, the small archipelago off the west coast of Africa, missed out on a historic first World Cup qualification by drawing away to Libya on Wednesday evening. Had the Blue Sharks not recovered from 3-1 down to snatch a point with two goals in the final quarter of the game, it could have been so much worse.Now, though, that result leaves them two points above Cameroon - a side they beat back in September - with one game to play. They therefore have one final chance to qualify automatically for 2026, with only the top side in each group in Africa assured of their place.A win against Eswatini , or dropped points for Cameroon against Angola, would confirm it. And then after Iceland, in 2018, Cape Verde would become the second smallest nation (by population) to ever reach the World Cup.In CONCACAF, where the Big Three - the USA, Canada, and Mexico - qualify for the main event by virtue of playing host in 2026, a further three automatic slots are up for grabs.Jamaica are looking to take one of those spots this weekend. To do so, Steve McClaren will need his boyz to defeat both Curaçao and Bermuda, while also hope that Curaçao don’t go on to beat Trinidad & Tobago, and that Dwight Yorkes’ side don’t win that game, and their consequent match against Bermuda in the coming days.Confused? Don’t worry - the connotations will all become a lot clearer after Friday’s trip to Curaçao. Qualification would be a redemption for McClaren after his failure to lead England to the Euros back in 2008. Let’s just hope it’s not raining.Cape Verde stand on the verge of historyPublished in the buildup to Thursday’s dramatic clash with Libya, we took an in depth look at the crazy, but fairytale journey that the tiny nation has taken through qualifying. Gen up on the Blue Sharks before Monday’s final group game against Eswantini.What does Jude Bellingham need to prove for club and country?For perhaps the first time in his stellar career, Bellingham is facing questions. His meteoric rise to the top of the game has hit a stumbling block and the Englishman faces a battle to get back in favour with both international manager Thomas Tuchel and Xabi Alonso, who’s tactical shift at Real Madrid has left the Englishman on the sidelines.Did you know that we have a TV schedule hidden away in the More tab? And that it is completely customisable to your needs!?Head to the More tab now to check what channel or service is showing all the top international games you want to watch this weekend.Better still, use our filter option to select the schedule for your region, and then use the further dropdown to check only the channels and streaming providers that you have access to.You’ll never miss a game again.Bonus Tip: Click on any of the green links below, then tap the star in the top right of the match page to automatically add them to the top of your match feed.Friday: For those national teams that have already done the hard work and secured their place at next year’s World Cup, or indeed, those who are hosting the finals, this window offers the luxury of friendly games largely between themselves. The USMNT, for example, face Ecuador, one of the six South American nations already through, and Canada play Australia.Defending world champions Argentina take on Venezuela in a game that comes just 24 hours before Inter Miami are due to take the field against Atlanta United on Saturday. Who will Lionel Messi choose to play for? His country, or his club? Or neither?Saturday: Some of UEFA’s heavyweight nations are involved in important World Cup qualifiers that we have not already mentioned elsewhere in the newsletter. European champions Spain face Georgia, the team who sit second in their group. And Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to get at least one of the 54 he needs to reach 1000 career goals when Portugal host Ireland.In England, we also have the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup, the round where the top non-league sides enter the world’s oldest competition.Sunday: As the weekend comes to a close we’ll be watching out for those crucial final qualifiers in Africa, and in particular, the game involving Ghana’s Black Stars. Baring defeat and a massive swing in goal difference to Madagascar, who play away in Mali, Ghana will secure qualification on home turf when they face Comoros.