Gabon (8-1-1) kept its World Cup qualifying hopes alive with a 2-0 win over Burundi (3-1-6) on Oct. 14 in Franceville.

The match remained scoreless until late in the second half when substitute Bryan Meyo broke through in the 86th minute. Meyo, who entered in the 71st, scored from the center of the box to put the Panthers ahead 1-0 in front of their home crowd.

Denis Bouanga set up the second goal in stoppage time, finding Mario Lemina in the box to finish in the 91st minute, which sealed the victory. The win was Gabon’s eighth in 10 qualifying matches and kept the team in contention for a spot in next year’s FIFA World Cup.

Gabon sits second in Group F behind Ivory Coast, which clinched its first World Cup berth since 2014 with a 3-0 win over Kenya earlier the same day. The Elephants hold a one-point lead over Gabon heading into the final round of group play.

Gabon will travel to face Nigeria (4-5-1) on Nov. 13 in another must-win match. A victory could give the Panthers a chance to overtake Ivory Coast and qualify for their first-ever World Cup appearance.

Wesley Webb

After a 2-2 draw with Portugal on October 14, Hungary’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup remain uncertain. With five points, Hungary sits in second place in Group F, trailing leaders Portugal, who have 10 points, and just ahead of the Republic of Ireland (4) and Armenia (3). Only the group winner automatically qualifies, so Hungary must fight to secure a play-off position.

The match in Lisbon was notable for Cristiano Ronaldo, who broke the all-time record for World Cup qualifying goals by scoring his 40th and 41st goals for Portugal, surpassing Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz. For Hungary, Dominik Szoboszlai’s stoppage-time equalizer kept their hopes alive, but it also underscored how narrow their margin for error is. Dropped points in earlier matches against Ireland and Armenia mean Hungary must perform nearly perfectly in their remaining games.

Looking ahead, Hungary faces Armenia away on November 13 and hosts the Republic of Ireland on November 16. A victory over Armenia is essential to stay ahead of Ireland, while a win against Ireland could secure second place and a favorable play-off seed. Hungary’s Nations League performance last year, finishing third in League A Group 3, offers no automatic safety net, making a second-place finish in Group F critical for a March 2026 play-off spot.

Maisie Gold

Wales’s dream of reaching the 2026 World Cup remains alive but precarious after a 4-2 defeat to Belgium on Oct. 13. A controversial VAR penalty decision swung momentum in Belgium’s favour. Head coach Craig Bellmay expressed his distain towards the decision after the match stating, “what are we supposed to do with our hands? Maybe we need to look at our game here as well because we have different rules here”.

The loss in Cardiff leaves Craig Bellamy’s side third in Group J with 10 points, four behind leaders Belgium (14) and three adrift of second-placed North Macedonia (13). With only the group winner securing automatic qualification, Wales now faces a must-win scenario to clinch a play-off spot.

Thanks to their Nations League success last year, Wales are virtually assured a play-off spot, a safety net for teams not finishing in the top two. However, this route carries a steep downside: as a Nations League qualifier, Wales would be among the lowest seeds in the play-offs, likely facing a daunting away semi-final against a top-ranked side like Italy. To avoid this, Wales must target second place in Group J. Beating Liechtenstein on Nov. 15 is crucial to draw level with North Macedonia before a decisive fixture in Cardiff on Nov. 18. A win there could secure a higher seed and a home semi-final against a weaker side. A six-goal thrashing of Liechtenstein might even make a draw against North Macedonia enough, overtaking their goal difference.

Maisie Gold

Riley Jackson and the North Carolina Courage have just one game remaining to try and secure a place in the NWSL playoffs. The Courage currently sit just two points behind Racing Louisville ahead of their matchup with Gotham FC on Nov. 2 at 5 p.m.

Racing Louisville will host 13th-place Bay FC on the same day at the same time. On the bright side for North Carolina, the Courage have a better goal difference than Racing Louisville, so any points dropped by the Kentucky-based club would put the Courage into the playoffs with a win.

Riley Jackson, Roswell native, has continued her good run of form. She has started and played the full 90 minutes in each of North Carolina’s last nine matches. In those matches, she has received a player score of seven or higher in eight matches on FotMob, indicating consistently solid performances in the midfield.

Jackson registered an assist in a loss to Louisville City and a goal in a win over the Houston Dash. She doesn’t get on the scoresheet often, but both contributions came in crucial games for Courage. She was instrumental in the Courage’s draw with the Washington Spirit, connecting on 86% of her passes and creating three scoring chances. The Courage will need Jackson playing her best soccer in their all-important game against Gotham.

Jack Little

NC State moved up three spots to No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches poll following a 3-0 win at Notre Dame and a 1-1 draw with No. 18 UNC Greensboro. The Wolfpack opened October with its first loss of the season to then-No. 16 Virginia, dropping to No. 10 — its lowest ranking this year. Since then, NC State has gone unbeaten, adding wins over Clemson and Notre Dame and earning a tie against UNC Greensboro.

Against the Spartans on Oct. 21, NC State outshot UNC Greensboro 25-4, including 12 shots on goal. The Spartans struck first in the 55th minute on a goal by Enzo Dovlo, his ninth of the season. NC State equalized in the 84th minute when senior Drew Lovelace converted a penalty kick for his second goal of the year. Goalkeeper Seth Wilson kept UNC Greensboro in the match with a season-high 10 saves. Georgia native Justin McLean recorded six shots for NC State.

The Wolfpack closes the regular season Oct. 31 at home against Syracuse.

Blake Caviness

Wake Forest (10-3-3, 4-2-2 ACC) extended its unbeaten home streak with a 2-1 victory over Pittsburgh (5-9-2, 1-7-0) on Thursday night at Spry Stadium.

The Demon Deacons moved to ninth in the ACC standings with 14 points, one behind Duke for the final conference tournament spot with two matches remaining.

Wake Forest struck early, scoring twice in the first 25 minutes. Senior Alex Wood opened the scoring in the 17th minute on senior night, finishing a cross from freshman Allie Flanagan. The assist was Flanagan’s first career helper, adding to a season in which she has five goals and 11 points.

Senior defender Laine DeNatale doubled the lead in the 25th minute with a strike from the edge of the box — her first career goal in 28 appearances.

Pitt cut the deficit in the 76th minute, but Wake Forest’s defense held firm. The Demon Deacons remain unbeaten this season when leading at halftime.

Goalkeeper Valentina Amaral surpassed 100 career saves after making three stops. She now owns a 22-6-6 record in goal. Redshirt sophomore Sierra Sythe added her ninth assist, moving into sixth in program history for single-season assists.

The match also served as Wake Forest’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game. Players wore pink jerseys that were auctioned to benefit the Cancer Health Equity Patient Care Fund at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.

Wake Forest closes its home schedule Sunday against top-ranked Notre Dame at 2 p.m. on ACCNX.

Cortland Tollmann

The Washington Spirit ended its CONCACAF W Champions Cup group stage run with a 4-0 thumping over Mexican side Monterrey. The win puts Washington first in Group B and through to the knockout rounds. Former Georgia player Croix Bethune slotted a shot to open up the scoring after a cross from Trinity Rodman, before Rosemonde Kouassi, Gift Monday and Brittany Ratcliffe wrapped up the scoring. Washington went undefeated in the group and topped fellow NWSL team Gotham FC with a superior goal difference. The Spirit will take on Group A runners-up, Pachuca, in the semifinals in May.

In the NWSL, Washington is guaranteed a second place finish as they sit at 44 points, five points above the Orlando Pride and well behind first place Kansas City. The Spirit played their last home regular season game against the Pride, falling 3-2. Washington earned other results such as a 2-1 win over the San Diego Wave after drawing its last four matchups with them.

The Spirit have one final NWSL match against the Utah Royals before the playoffs. The game has no significant importance for either team, as Utah are unable to make the playoffs. As things stand, Washington will play seventh-seeded Gotham FC, who they previously drew 0-0 with in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup. Depending on how results go on the final matchday, however, the playoff picture could be shaken up. Washington could technically play against any team currently sitting between eighth place Racing Louisville and third place Orlando.

Ethan Wilcox