Looking for Soccer News?

Manchester United star Edinson Cavani has been sent off while on international duty for Uruguay after making a dangerous challenge on Brazil and Everton striker Richarlison.

The 33-year-old was shown the straight red mid-way through the second half as the 10-man Uruguayans crashed to a 2-0 defeat at home against the Selecao on Tuesday.

Cavani attempted to make a challenge as Richarlison powered away with the ball but only managed to catch his opponent's shins with his studs in a reckless and dangerous manner.

After being alerted to the incident by VAR, the referee deliberated in front of the pitch-side screen before returning to the field of play to show Cavani the red card.

The two-goal defeat leaves the Uruguayans positioned in fifth on the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table after five matches, with the top four achieving automatic qualification for Qatar 2022 and fifth place earning a playoff.

With each team playing 18 matches, Uruguay made the best possible start to their qualification with a 2-1 win against Chile last month, however they disappointed in a 4-2 defeat versus Ecuador shortly after.

Heading into the Brazil match, it appeared the Uruguayans were in top form as they crushed Colombia 3-0 on the road, but they were unable to deal with the early brilliance from the Samba stars.

Despite missing Neymar through injury, Brazil earned a 34th minute lead through Juventus' Arthur, before Richarlison's goal on the stroke of half time gave them some crucial breathing space.

Uruguay worked hard to get back in the match during the second-half, but their task was made harder by the 71st-minute dismissal of Cavani and they failed to record a shot on target for the entire 90 minutes.

Cavani, who joined Manchester United at the end of the transfer window, was making his second start for his nation during the international window - after scoring the opening goal against Ecuador.

The ex-PSG striker has been slowly working his way back to match fitness at Old Trafford, and scored his first goal in the 3-1 win against Everton just prior to the international break.

Brazil continued their perfect start to World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 win over Uruguay in Montevideo on Tuesday.

First-half goals from Arthur and Richarlison lifted a Neymar-less Brazil to a fourth straight win to begin their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Uruguay, who were without Luis Suarez after the forward's positive coronavirus test, hit the crossbar twice in the first half before their chances took a further hit when Edinson Cavani was sent off in the 71st minute.

The result extended Brazil's unbeaten run against Uruguay to 11 matches.

While Brazil made a bright start, it was Uruguay who went closest to an early opener, Darwin Nunez powering an effort onto the crossbar from inside the area after cutting inside from the left in the fifth minute.

After a relatively even opening, Brazil struck twice in the 11 minutes before half-time through Arthur and Richarlison.

Arthur opened the scoring with his first international goal, the midfielder receiving a pass from Gabriel Jesus before seeing his 20-yard effort take a huge deflection and wrongfoot goalkeeper Martin Campana.

Roberto Firmino squandered a great chance two minutes later when he was denied by Campana, but Brazil would double their lead through Richarlison.

A short corner led to an unmarked Richarlison getting on the end of a Renan Lodi cross to head in and make it 2-0.

There was still time for Uruguay to be denied by the woodwork again to finish the half, Diego Godin's header hitting the crossbar after Nicolas De La Cruz's set-piece.

After few chances to begin the second half, Uruguay's comeback chances were dealt a blow in the 71st minute, Cavani having a yellow card for a challenge on Richarlison upgraded to a red following a VAR check.

Just as Martin Caceres thought he had given the hosts hope with a goal shortly after, it was correctly ruled out for offside, Uruguay unable to find a way back into the contest.

What does it mean? Brazil stay perfect

In what is a gruelling qualifying campaign, Brazil have made a dream start with four wins from four. Tite's men finished top of the 2018 standings with 12 wins, and they are on track for another dominant campaign.

No Neymar, few problems for Brazil

Without their star forward due to a thigh injury, Brazil still managed back-to-back wins to continue their perfect start to qualifying. However, they missed the Paris Saint-Germain star's spark in Montevideo, creating few chances but making the most of those they had to claim three points.

Uruguay still can't find a way against Brazil

The loss extended Uruguay's winless run against Brazil to 11 games, with their last victory in meetings between the nations coming in 2001. It could have been different with some luck after Nunez and Godin hit the crossbar in the first half and Caceres had an effort ruled out in the second.

What's next?

Brazil and Uruguay continue their qualifying campaigns in March next year. Tite's men will face Colombia and Argentina, while Uruguay meet Lionel Scaloni's side and Bolivia.

Eden Hazard will have a "fabulous" 2021 after missing out on Belgium's final games of this year with coronavirus, according to Roberto Martinez.

Since completing a €100 million (£88m/$112m) move to Real Madrid in June 2019, Hazard has been beset by injury problems and limited to just 25 appearances in all competitions.

He has scored two goals and supplied four assists for Los Blancos, after a final campaign at Chelsea in which he registered 16 goals and 15 assists in the Premier League alone.

A muscle injury meant his first outing of 2020-21 did not come until October 27 and three games into his return he tested positive for coronavirus.  

Hazard was again positive for Covid-19 at the weekend and will consequently miss Belgium's crunch Nations League Group A2 clash with Denmark.

However, Martinez is confident the 29-year-old will soon return to his previous heights and play an important role for Madrid and Belgium.

"Eden really wanted to join us and play the last three games in 2020," said Martinez on Tuesday.

"He has had a really complicated year. I am convinced that 2021 will be a fabulous year for Eden Hazard, and also the national team."

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois added: "It's a shame he'll miss this match, but we have enough quality to win without him.

"The group has more experience, we know what we have to improve. We have one of the best teams in the world."

Martinez will also be without the suspended duo Axel Witsel and Thomas Meunier for the meeting in Heverlee, where a point will be enough for Belgium to qualify for the Nations League Finals.

"We are not going to focus on the absentees. I am looking at the players that will have the chance to put themselves forward, to seize an opportunity," said Martinez.

"I have many solutions to compensate for the absences of Wistel and Meunier. There is Thomas Foket, Thorgan Hazard and Nacer Chadli among others.

"Denmark are a very strong team but we want to participate in the Finals so we will do everything to win. We are not going to aim for a draw. We have to win for the fans and to end the year on a good note."

Belgium missed out on a place in the inaugural Nations League Finals in 2019 after losing their final group game against Switzerland 5-2.

Courtois insists they have learned from that performance and know they cannot take Denmark lightly.

"We know their strengths and weaknesses. If they win, they will quality. We have to show intensity from the first minute to the last, be careful and focused. We will not easily win this game 4-0," said Courtois.

"We had relaxed a bit that day [against Switzerland], it's true. We learned from that match. We are ready for Wednesday."

France manager Didier Deschamps has heaped praise on Paul Pogba after the Manchester United’s performances for Les Bleus during the international break.

The spotlight has been on Pogba in recent weeks with the midfielder out of favour at Old Trafford, but he helped France qualify for the Nations League finals with wins over Portugal and Sweden.

Deschamps praised Pogba’s ‘pride and talent’, and said he hopes his performances for France will help him win back his place in the Man Utd team.

“Just see what he was able to do in Portugal and what he did tonight,” Deschamps said in his press conference after Tuesday’s 4-2 win over Sweden.

“I know him, I know how he works. He has pride and above all he has talent. When you have to defend, he can defend. When he has the opportunity to express himself, he is able to do so.

“Paul is a top-level player and I hope what he did with us will be useful to him when he gets back to his club.”

Pogba seemed relieved to be back on the pitch with France after a recent interview where he admitted the last few months have been the most difficult of his career.

"I had never known such a difficult period in my career," he said in an interview with RTL.

"The France team is a breath of fresh air, the group is exceptional, it's magic."

While Pogba faces plenty of criticism in Manchester, team-mates past and present have rallied around him during the international break.

N’Golo Kante described him as a pleasure to play with, while Hugo Lloris backed him as one of the leaders of the world champions.

Meanwhile, former Juventus midfield partner Claudio Marchisio publicly called for Pogba to return to the Serie A champions with a tweet saying he “will be happy again” in Turin.

Juventus director Fabio Paratici made headlines recently when he admitted that Juve still care about Pogba, though he didn’t go as far as saying a move was in the works.

“Right now, Pogba is a Manchester United player and it is far too early to think about future transfer targets,” Paratici told Sky Sport Italia. “We all care for Pogba here, one of many ex-players who gave Juve so much, but it's too early to talk about future objectives.

“We are concentrated on constructing this team for this season, that is where our focus lies.”

England boss Gareth Southgate is adamant Premier League managers would also select the best players for international duty if they were in his position - as the club versus country battle continues with injuries continuing to grow.

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling and Liverpool Joe Gomez have both suffered injuries on international duty with the Three Lions, while Chelsea's Ben Chilwell has also picked up a minor issue as the players' schedule continues to be heavy across club and country.

The current international break has seen the Three Lions compete in three matches across a week period, with a Republic of Ireland friendly and a dead rubber against Iceland either side of a crunch contest versus Belgium.

Southgate made no apologies for selecting the best players for England duty - but said he understood the angst from club managers.

"In terms of the club managers, there is a power game the whole time," Southgate said ahead of Wednesday's Nations League clash against Iceland.

"Whether that’s phone calls, messages, press conferences. We know everything that goes on. I totally understand it.

"Four years ago I was thinking, “I had better be careful”, but if we start going down that route we would have to pick just one from every club to make sure it’s balanced. That’s impossible. So I have to do what is right.

"We have given what ground we can but we have to prepare to win. All the league managers would do the same in my position."

England were in contention to qualify for the Nations League finals at the start of the international period, and following a 3-0 friendly win against Ireland, the Three Lions were beaten 2-0 by Belgium at Den Dreef to end their chances of progression.

With the Euros coming up next year, Southgate insists his England players want to be playing for their national team and pointed to the depth of squads for other nations as a reason why the Three Lions need to be at full strength,

"We are representing 50 million people, we are trying to prepare for the European Championship," Southgate said. "The players want to play. They want to achieve personal landmarks.

"They are in a really difficult situation. They are under huge pressure from their clubs. That is going on in the background, for sure. That is the landscape whether it is made public or not.

"I totally get it from a club perspective. It’s never been more competitive in our league and we have lots of huge personalities and strong people who are always looking for an edge. So we’ve got to manage that.

"We will help but we’ve also got to be firm. Our competitors are making use of the games and building their teams, and we’ve got to do that.

"We have challenges in our country and have done for years because of the strength of the league. It makes it more difficult for England at times, so we’ve got to make sure we don’t hinder our own chances.

"We are competing against France, who pick all their players, Spain, who pick all their players, Portugal, who pick all their players. For example Paul Pogba has played this week, Ronaldo has played. He has 150 caps."

Alvaro Morata revelled in Spain's 6-0 rout of Germany as Luis Enrique's side shrugged off previous criticism to produce a stunning performance in Seville. 

Spain failed to make the inaugural Nations League Finals after a disappointing 2018 World Cup, but have progressed to the semi-finals in style this time around. 

Germany needed just a point from the clash to ensure they finished top of the group, yet instead Joachim Low's side suffered a chastening defeat on Tuesday.

Morata opened the scoring, with Manchester City duo Ferran Torres and Rodri also on target before half-time. 

Torres went on to get a hat-trick – becoming the first Spanish player to net three in a single match against Germany – while substitute Mikel Oyarzabal rounded off the scoring late on.

The victory means Spain finish top of Group A4 having inflicted Germany's heaviest defeat since they lost 6-0 to Austria in 1931.

This was no fluke either as the hosts dominated from the off, Torres alone managing seven attempts compared to two from Germany's entire team combined. 

A delighted Morata believes the performance will have silenced the doubters as he praised the attitude of his team-mates.

"There is always something. I want to go home and see what they say about us," Morata told Teledeporte. 

"We have to do our job. The other day we did it. I would like to see what people say now. Against a European and world champion team. 

"We all help each other, there are young people. You have to have faith. We have a Euros ahead of us. 

"It is the attitude of the team. This is the team, we do what we have to do. It is a strong message for everyone. We want to continue this way. 

"It was our best match with Luis Enrique. You have to take it to see all the good we have done. We would like it to always be like this." 

After two years out of the national team picture, Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has returned to Spain duty this month, featuring in all three November fixtures. 

It was his corner that allowed Rodri to head in Spain's third before the break and he finished the contest with a 95 per cent pass completion rate, also creating five chances for his team. 

"I had been away for a long time and continued working, which I have always done," Koke added. "The work pays off. Anything that is adding is positive for everyone." 

Torres, meanwhile, is anticipating a bright future for Spain. 

"We are very excited about the team we have and how things are going," the forward said. "Now we are going to prepare for the final four in the best possible way."

Germany head coach Joachim Low is not in danger of losing his job despite Tuesday's humiliating 6-0 defeat to Spain, according to Germany national team director Oliver Bierhoff.

Die Mannschaft were put to the sword by a rampant Spain side in their Nations League match in Seville, as Ferran Torres led the way with a hat-trick. 

It was Germany's worst defeat since they lost 6-0 to Austria in 1931, with a 9-0 thrashing against England Amateurs in 1909 the only heavier loss in Germany's history.

Low took charge of Germany's national team following the 2006 World Cup and has overseen the team's 2014 World Cup win, as well as their shocking group-stage exit in Russia four years later.

Having been at the helm for so long and on the back of such a shocking result, there has again been speculation about Low's position. 

Bierhoff, though, has quickly moved to offer assurances over Low's future, saying the 60-year-old will be at the helm for a while longer.

Asked if Low would be in charge through next summer's rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament, Bierhoff told ARD: "Absolutely, yes. This game changes nothing. We still trust Joachim Low, no doubt about that.

"When it comes to the national team's coach, you have to think and analyze from tournament to tournament. We want to achieve the maximum at next year's Euros.

"We have to digest this defeat first, it will take some time. Everything went wrong. We lost the ball easily and the team fell apart, that shouldn't happen. We didn't go into the tackles or keep possession. We have to learn from it and draw good conclusions."

After he won a treble in his first season in charge at Bayern Munich, Hansi Flick has been mentioned as a possible candidate to take over from Low.

Speaking to SPORT1 earlier this week Bierhoff said he "absolutely" trusted Flick, who served as Low's assistant with Germany from 2006 to 2014, but wouldn't be drawn on the possibility of him taking over the national team.

"What he has now built in Munich in a short time is really impressive," Bierhoff said. "The continuity he shows with his team is really nice. We benefit from his players being released for the national team.  

"Do I trust him? Absolutely. Is it currently a topic? No. Hansi knows the DFB inside and out. He has his quality and has always said how he values ​​the association. But neither for us nor for him, this is currently not an issue."

Olivier Giroud scored a double as France beat Sweden in the Nations League but was not spurred on by recent criticism because he is "used to being heckled".

In a surprise 2-0 loss in a friendly with Finland last week, Giroud only completed three more passes than goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, who was the only France player to have fewer touches than the Chelsea striker.

Giroud was dropped for Saturday's 1-0 victory over Portugal but struck twice in a 4-2 win over Sweden on Tuesday , taking his tally for Les Bleus to 44 – seven shy of Thierry Henry's all-time record.

The 34-year-old tucked home a cutback from Marcus Thuram after Viktor Claesson's opener and scored an excellent diving header following Benjamin Pavard's volley to turn the game around.

Robin Quaison pulled one back for Sweden in the 88th minute but, after they pushed goalkeeper Robin Olsen up for a free-kick in the hope of snatching a point to retain their League A status, Kingsley Coman hit them on the break to consign them to relegation.

"We had a lot of regrets and frustration, also on an individual level, against Finland. We wanted to learn from that match, and we were able to react against Portugal by dominating and deserving the victory," Giroud told M6 .

"This gathering is positive after this last match. Even if everything is not perfect, there is still a feeling of satisfaction.

"There was no feeling of revenge for me. I'm used to being heckled, it's the story of my career. It gives me more strength. I have no problem with that."

Didier Deschamps reiterated his suggestion that Giroud should look to leave Chelsea , where he has just started one game this season, to get more regular football in the build-up to next year's European Championship.

With his double at the Stade de France, Giroud ensured he will end 2020 as Les Bleus' highest scoring player for the fifth time in the past six years.

"The situation in March may not be the same as it is today. But, between the young players who came and who we were able to see – and it is important that they have playing time – and the old ones who are still there, some may be in difficulty like Olivier Giroud," said Deschamps.

"Of course, he has to deal with his situation, psychologically and physically, but today he's still there and he's scored two more.

"You are going to tell me that he won points and Anthony Martial lost some, but no, it's the France team that wins points. Some are starting, and others came as substitutes. I have different options. I have top-level players and in terms of the mood that's perfect."

Toni Kroos admitted Spain showed Germany how to play with and without the ball on Tuesday in a historic 6-0 Nations League defeat. 

Luis Enrique's side scored three goals in either half and were dominant from start to finish as they ended the match with 70 per cent possession and took 23 shots compared to Germany's two. 

The defeat was Germany's worst ever competitive loss with the national team having not conceded six goals in a single match since 1958 against France.

More accustomed to winning games in such fashion, Kroos conceded Spain were simply superior in every way and taught Germany an important lesson. 

"It hurt. Defensively, we did not get any access at all. Spain showed us how to defend, how to play with the ball and without the ball," Kroos told ARD.

Germany forward Serge Gnabry echoed his team-mate, adding: "Nothing worked for us today, we just couldn't get access. Spain deservedly won even at this level. We tried to push each other. Spain simply did well, we did very badly. Now maybe we know where we stand. That makes us think. We still have a bit of time and have to make the best of it."

Joachim Low's side had previously gone 12 games without defeat, with their last loss dating back to September 2019 when they fell 4-2 to the Netherlands. 

Germany have however showed some vulnerability in defence and had kept just one clean sheet in their last eight matches - conceding three goals against both Turkey and Switzerland in high-scoring draws.

It was a night to forget for Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who saw his side fall apart in front of him and was left to pick the ball up from his own net six times.  

"Quite disappointing for all of us, not only for the defenders, but for each of us," Neuer said.

"We blew the game together today, also the body language and communication was disappointing. We should have spoken more, especially after the first goal. It's very important to support each other." 

The result means Germany have finished second in their Nations League group behind Spain, who themselves only picked up 11 points in a competitive section. 

Callum Hudson-Odoi says England can win the Under-21 European Championship next summer.

The Chelsea winger was named player of the match on Tuesday night as England beat Albania U21s 5-0 at Molineux to cap qualification with a near-perfect record.

England won nine and drew one of their 10 qualifying games to top Group C, and they will be among the favourites going into the final tournament in 2021.

Asked after the game if he thought England could lift the title for the first time since 1984, Hudson-Odoi told reporters: “Yes, definitely. You want to win the trophy and win every game you play.

“I think the competition is big and whether it is the seniors or the U21s, you want to be involved. You want to get up there with the seniors for the trophy as well. We want to keep pushing ourselves and to try to win the trophy.”

Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah scored twice while Leicester’s James Justin and Bayern Munich starlet Jamal Musiala, formerly of Chelsea, got the other goals.

Hudson-Odoi said he felt like he was playing with a point to prove having started only once for Frank Lampard’s side in the Premier League so far this season.

“I feel confident to give my best every time I play no matter what the game I’m playing in is,” he said.

“You just want to show your capabilities, your ability on the ball and what you can do. I was focused and tried to get a goal first of all and to help the team win the game.

“We wanted to finish the group strongly which we did with the 5-0 win. I tried my best and tried to prove a point as well.”

Hudson-Odoi recently said he still did not feel he had fully recovered from the Achilles rupture which kept him out of action for five months at the start of 2019.

Chelsea rejected a loan bid from Bayern Munich in October which included a £70 million ($89m) option to buy, but Lampard has said he wants to see more from Hudson-Odoi off the ball if he is to figure more prominently in his plans.

"With Callum, his work off the ball is something I am trying to improve because at this level in the Premier League, you see how we worked last year, and Willian was the first trigger in us winning the ball back,” Lampard said.

"He covered so much ground in high areas, at speed, off the ball. Wingers have to have that mindset these days. That's something I put on Callum and he has to improve on little bits and he did better, but he can still do more.”

Germany head coach Joachim Low has admitted "everything was really bad" for his side during their 6-0 defeat to Spain on Tuesday.

Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Nations League match, while Alvaro Morata, Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal also netted at the Estadio La Cartuja in Seville.

The result was Germany's worst defeat in almost 90 years – and their worst competitive defeat ever.

Speaking to ARD after the match, Low expressed his disappointment at what he called a "pitch-black day" for the 2014 World Cup champions.

"It's hard to explain at the moment, we had a pitch-black day when nothing worked at all," Low said. "Everything was really bad today in every respect. You couldn't find anything good. We wanted to be brave and play forward but nothing worked today – neither offensively or defensively.

"After the first goal we gave up our whole concept. We opened up and the Spaniards were so good that they took advantage of it. No organisation, no proximity to the players, no communication. We gave up order and that was deadly."

After a performance like the one his side turned in, Low was inevitably going to be asked about axed trio Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels.

In a stunning move in March 2019, Low announced that all three players, then at Bayern Munich, would no longer be considered for international selection.

The trio have continued to perform well for their club sides in the meantime, with Hummels having moved back to Borussia Dortmund last summer.

Low, however, continued to maintain that he would not consider reversing his decision on the three players, despite Tuesday's heavy defeat.

"We have said that we trust the players we have," Low said when asked about the trio. "We were on a good path, but today we have seen that we are not as far along as we thought we would be."

With Tuesday's result Spain clinched a berth in the UEFA Nations League finals, which are set to take place in October 2021. Germany are second in Group A4 and could finish in third should Ukraine defeat Switzerland in their final match and make up a two-goal difference.

Brazil continued their perfect start to World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 win over Uruguay in Montevideo on Tuesday.

First-half goals from Arthur and Richarlison lifted a Neymar-less Brazil to a fourth straight win to begin their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Uruguay, who were without Luis Suarez after the forward's positive coronavirus test, hit the crossbar twice in the first half before their chances took a further hit when Edinson Cavani was sent off in the 71st minute.

The result extended Brazil's unbeaten run against Uruguay to 11 matches.

While Brazil made a bright start, it was Uruguay who went closest to an early opener, Darwin Nunez powering an effort onto the crossbar from inside the area after cutting inside from the left in the fifth minute.

After a relatively even opening, Brazil struck twice in the 11 minutes before half-time through Arthur and Richarlison.

Arthur opened the scoring with his first international goal, the midfielder receiving a pass from Gabriel Jesus before seeing his 20-yard effort take a huge deflection and wrongfoot goalkeeper Martin Campana.

Roberto Firmino squandered a great chance two minutes later when he was denied by Campana, but Brazil would double their lead through Richarlison.

A short corner led to an unmarked Richarlison getting on the end of a Renan Lodi cross to head in and make it 2-0.

There was still time for Uruguay to be denied by the woodwork again to finish the half, Diego Godin's header hitting the crossbar after Nicolas De La Cruz's set-piece.

After few chances to begin the second half, Uruguay's comeback chances were dealt a blow in the 71st minute, Cavani having a yellow card for a challenge on Richarlison upgraded to a red following a VAR check.

Just as Martin Caceres thought he had given the hosts hope with a goal shortly after, it was correctly ruled out for offside, Uruguay unable to find a way back into the contest.

What does it mean? Brazil stay perfect

In what is a gruelling qualifying campaign, Brazil have made a dream start with four wins from four. Tite's men finished top of the 2018 standings with 12 wins, and they are on track for another dominant campaign.

No Neymar, few problems for Brazil

Without their star forward due to a thigh injury, Brazil still managed back-to-back wins to continue their perfect start to qualifying. However, they missed the Paris Saint-Germain star's spark in Montevideo, creating few chances but making the most of those they had to claim three points.

Uruguay still can't find a way against Brazil

The loss extended Uruguay's winless run against Brazil to 11 games, with their last victory in meetings between the nations coming in 2001. It could have been different with some luck after Nunez and Godin hit the crossbar in the first half and Caceres had an effort ruled out in the second.

What's next?

Brazil and Uruguay continue their qualifying campaigns in March next year. Tite's men will face Colombia and Argentina, while Uruguay meet Lionel Scaloni's side and Bolivia.

Germany’s humiliating 6-0 defeat against Spain on Tuesday night was their worst defeat in almost 90 years – and their worst competitive defeat ever.

Joachim Low’s side were torn apart in Seville. Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick while Alvaro Morata, Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal all got on the scoresheet even after Spain lost Sergio Ramos and Sergio Canales to injury in the first half.

The result surpassed famous losses such as the 5-1 defeat to England in 2001 and the 8-3 defeat West Germany suffered to Hungary during the 1954 World Cup.

It was equalled only by a 6-0 defeat to Austria in 1931, and beaten only by a 9-0 thrashing against England Amateurs in 1909 – when the concept of a German national team was in its infancy. The last time Germany conceded six in a game was during the 1958 World Cup, in the third-place play-off against France.

The result will raise serious questions about Low’s position as manager, with a serious inquest surely on the way after the manner of the defeat.

Germany failed to have a single shot on target during the game, and had only 30 per cent of possession. Serge Gnabry hit the bar but the hosts could have scored more than the six they finished with, having 23 shots – 16 of which came from inside the penalty area.

Man of the match Torres became the first player to score a hat-trick for Spain against Germany, while it was also the first time Spain had ever scored three goals in the first 45 minutes against Germany.

Morata opened the scoring early on from a corner. Morata arrived untracked to head past Manuel Neuer, perhaps evoking memories of an unmarked Thomas Muller stroking home to open the scoring in Germany’s famous 7-1 evisceration of Brazil in 2014.

The lack of marking from Germany’s defence proved a sign of things to come as Manchester City duo Torres and Rodri made the game safe before half-time.

Real Madrid captain Ramos walked off with what looked like a hamstring injury before the break but the defender will no doubt have enjoyed his side’s second-half display with Torres adding two more and Oyarzabal adding some final gloss late on.

Tuesday’s results mean Spain, France and Belgium have qualified for the Nations League finals, with either Italy, the Netherlands or Poland to join them on Wednesday.

Feisal Salum cancelled out Saifeddine Khaoui’s opener as Tanzania held Tunisia 1-1 at home on Tuesday to boost their prospects of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The point is enough to confirm Tunisia’s place at the 2022 tournament—set to be hosted by Cameroon—and extends their run of qualifying for every edition since 1992.

Visiting Tunisia had taken the lead after 11 minutes when Khaoui finished after being played in by Youssef Msakni, but Salum responded just after half time when he beat Farouk Ben Mustapha from inside the visitors’ half.

The draw leaves Tanzania on four points after four matches, and they currently sit third in Group J.

While the East Africans are outside the qualifying berths with two games to play, they still have qualification in their own hands, and would leapfrop Equatorial Guinea into second place if they defeat the Nzalang Nacional in Malabo on March 22.

The Central African side defeated Libya home and away during the international break to boost their prospects of reaching the 2022 Afcon in neighbouring Cameroon, but Tanzania can take encouragement from the fact that the 2015 Nations Cup hosts must still travel away to Tunisia in their final group game.

Tanzania will host Libya in Dar es Salaam on matchday six, and while the Mediterranean Knights are not out of the running, they must host already qualified Tunisia in their next group fixture.

Tuesday’s match came four days after Tanzania were narrowly  

Msakni, the star of the first match, was again influential, hitting the post early on and then carving Tanzania open with a fine pass to set up Khaoui to open the scoring.

However, after riding out the storm and keeping Tunisia at bay—as they did for much of the first match between the pair—the Taifa Stars capitalised on a loss of concentration at the start of the second half, responding through Salum after the visitors restarted slowly.

Despite controlling much of the second period, largely due to a midfield of Ellyes Skhiri and reunited Ferjani Sassi and Mohamed Amine Ben Amor, Tunisia were unable to find a winner.

They join Senegal, Algeria and hosts Cameroon in having booked their tickets to the 2022 showpiece.

Kingsley Coman wrapped up a 4-2 win for France in the Nations League on Tuesday as he punished a Sweden side who were chasing an equaliser to retain League A status.

Sweden sent goalkeeper Robin Olsen up for a late free-kick as they tried to salvage a draw that would have relegated Croatia, who lost 3-2 to Portugal, but Dejan Kulusevski's delivery was cleared and Coman slotted into the empty net on the break.

Viktor Claesson had put the visitors in front at the Stade de France inside four minutes, but Olivier Giroud equalised before Benjamin Pavard turned the game around in the 36th minute.

Substitute Kylian Mbappe teed up another for Giroud just 70 seconds into his return from injury, before Coman killed the game with the final kick after Robin Quaison's 88th-minute strike gave Sweden hope.

Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick as Spain secured a place at next year's Nations League Finals with a 6-0 demolition of Germany on Tuesday. 

Alvaro Morata, Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal were also on the scoresheet in Seville as Joachim Low suffered the heaviest loss of his 14 years in charge. 

Germany needed only a point to secure top spot in Group A4 but found themselves 3-0 down by half-time, Spain delivering their best performance under Luis Enrique despite losing Sergio Ramos and Sergio Canales to hamstring problems. 

Manchester City's Torres added two more after the break before substitute Oyarzabal piled further pressure on Low, whose position will look increasingly perilous following this chastening defeat. 

Morata could hardly believe his luck when he was allowed a free header at the far post from a deep corner by Fabian Ruiz, on as an early substitute for the injured Canales, to open the scoring. 

Germany had struggled to get into the game and were fortunate not to be 2-0 down when Morata turned in Torres' cross only to be denied by a contentious offside call. 

Manuel Neuer, who became Germany's most-capped goalkeeper as he made his 96th appearance, did superbly to turn Torres' strike around the post as Spain once more got in down the right. 

However, he could do nothing to stop Torres smashing a rebound home from six yards after Dani Olmo's header had come back off the crossbar. 

It was 3-0 to an utterly dominant Spain five minutes later as a corner from Koke found an unmarked red shirt, this time in the form of Rodri, who glanced a brilliant header out of Neuer's reach. 

Ramos went off before the break after hurting his hamstring when sending a long pass forward, but his absence did little to shake Spain from their rhythm. 

With Germany pushing for a route back into the match, La Roja sprung a counter-attack down the left and Jose Gaya squared for Torres to steady himself and smash home number four. 

Torres secured his treble with 19 minutes to play, sweeping a low shot past a helpless Neuer as Spain once again cut the visiting defence to ribbons, and Oyarzabal was gifted an easy finish when Gaya prodded the ball into his path.

Dominik Livakovic's calamitous late error gifted Portugal a 3-2 victory as Fernando Santos' side ended their Nations League campaign on a high note but Croatia avoided relegation from Group A3.

Croatia, reduced to 10 men early in the second half when Marko Rog received a second booking, seemed to be heading for a draw in Split on Tuesday.

Mateo Kovacic opened the scoring in the 29th minute before curling in from the edge of the box after goals from Ruben Dias and Joao Felix had put Portugal ahead.

But Livakovic endured a 90th-minute nightmare, fumbling a corner to the feet of Dias, who completed his double to snatch the points, yet Croatia avoid the drop due to France's win over Sweden.

Diogo Jota and Cristiano Ronaldo went close as Portugal turned the screw, but the visitors had Dias to thank when he blocked Mario Pasalic's goal-bound effort at the other end.

Yet Dias could not prevent Croatia from opening the scoring – Kovacic lashing home at the second attempt after having his initial shot from Pasalic's cross blocked.

Portugal should have been two down eight minutes later, only for Josip Juranovic to head wide from inside the six-yard box, and Danilo Pereira would have made Croatia pay if not for Livakovic's instinctive stop.

But Portugal had their equaliser eight minutes into the second half.

Rog was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Ronaldo, whose free-kick was parried out by Livakovic and Ruben Semedo squared for Dias to add insult to injury by prodding in.

Portugal were in front on the hour-mark, with Joao Felix on hand to tuck in from Jota's lay off, yet Croatia defied their numerical disadvantage to hit back when Kovacic curled a low strike into the bottom-left corner.

Bernardo Silva squandered a golden chance to win it for Portugal, but his blushes were swiftly sparred by Livakovic.

The goalkeeper charged out to claim Joao Moutinho's corner, only to drop it after making contact with Dejan Lovren, enabling Dias to snatch victory.

CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying returns this week as the 10 South American nations compete for a place at World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Argentina is hoping to continue its unbeaten record on Tuesday as it visits Peru in Lima.

CONMEBOL qualifiers can be watched through Fanatiz. The streaming platform offers the option to watch each game in the US..

How to watch Peru vs Argentina on US TV

What has happened to Peru & Argentina far in CONMEBOL's World Cup 2022 qualification?

Peru began its World Cup qualifying campaign with a thrilling 2-2 draw away to Paraguay, and the goals continued to flow for Ricardo Gareca's men.

It led twice against Brazil in its second match before Neymar pulled his side back into the game, scoring a hat-trick which included two penalties to see the Selecao through 4-2 in Lima. 

Peru then had no answer to Arturo Vidal, as the Chile star netted twice in the first half to earn the Roja a comfortable 2-0 home win which pushes Peru down to eighth in the standings, with just one point to date.

Watch now with Fanatiz English

Watch now with Fanatiz Spanish

Watch now with Fanatiz Portuguese

Argentina by comparison have been rather less entertaining but more effective, taking an impressive seven points out of the nine  available in the campaign so far. 

Ecuador and Bolivia were disposed of 1-0 and 2-1 respectively in October's fixtures, the latter marking an historic win for the Albiceleste in the altitude of La Paz; while on Thursday Lionel Scaloni's men fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against Paraguay after falling behind to Angel Romero's spot-kick.

Peru and Argentina team news and preview

Midfielder Exequiel Palacios was forced off against Paraguay after taking a knee to the back, and now faces significant time out after fracturing vertebrae in the challenge. 

Argentina will hope to recover the talents of Nicolas Tagliafico in time for Tuesday after the Ajax star missed out in the first match, obliging Scaloni to field Nicolas Gonzalez in an unfamiliar left-back position.

Peru are missing two key players in Paolo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfan, who were ruled out of November's double-header due to injury; as well as defender Carlos Zambrano, handed a three-match suspension following his red card against Brazil in October. Renato Tapia and Christofer Gonzalez will also miss out against Argentina after picking up their second yellow cards of the competition in Santiago.

Friday's defeat to Chile saw Gianluca Lapadula, who was born in Italy to a Peruvian mother, make his debut off the bench three years after scoring a hat-trick in his first and only Italy cap, playing the last half-hour after coming on for Raul Ruidiaz up front.

Probable Peru XI:  Gallese; Advincula, Araujo, Abram, Trauco; Carrillo, Yotun, Cueva, Flores, Aquino; Advincula.

Probable Argentina XI:  Armani; Montiel, Otamendi, Martinez Quarta, Tagliafico/Gonzalez; Paredes, De Paul, Lo Celso; Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Ocampos.

CONMEBOL's World Cup 2022 qualification table ahead of Matchday 4

Watch the South American Qualifiers live on Fanatiz. Get your National Team’s bundle and get 3 months free