World Cup qualifying results; Vietnam national team to play Nepal; Son Heung-min beats Ronaldo for 'Best Asian Player' award.
Germany defeated hosts Northern Ireland; Son Heung-min surpassed Ronaldo in the 'Best Asian Player' award; Vietnam national team is about to play Nepal... these are some of the highlights of the past 24 hours.
World Cup Qualifiers Results
Nick Woltemade played the hero with the only goal that gave Germany a 1-0 victory over hosts Northern Ireland. In the 28th minute, from a corner kick taken by David Raum, the 22-year-old striker intelligently positioned himself in the penalty area and headed the ball into Bailey Peacock-Farrell's net, scoring his first goal for the German national team.
Woltemade is the second Newcastle player to score for Germany after Dietmar Hamann in the 3-0 Euro qualifying win in March 1999, also in an away match in Northern Ireland.
Nick Woltemade scored a header to give Germany a 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland on October 13, 2025. Photo: Reuters
At Windsor Park in Belfast yesterday, Northern Ireland played well, even putting pressure on the visitors at times. Northern Ireland had more shots, 12 with 3 on target - compared to Germany's 11 and 2.
The home side launched an early offensive and put the ball into the net against Germany in the 14th minute. However, Daniel Ballard's goal was disallowed because his teammate Paddy McNair was offside. In the second half, Ethan Galbraith and Callum Marshall both squandered golden opportunities, leaving Northern Ireland unable to secure even a single point.
With this 1-0 victory, Germany continues to lead Group A with 9 points, level with Slovakia, who beat Luxembourg 2-0 in the other match played at the same time. Northern Ireland has 6 points, while Luxembourg has yet to earn any points.
Kevin de Bruyne (in blue) scored two penalties in Belgium's 4-2 victory over Wales at Cardiff City Stadium. Photo: AFP
In Group J,Belgium also faced considerable difficulties on the pitch against Wales. In the 8th minute, Wales opened the scoring through Joe Rodon. Then, a brace of penalties from Kevin de Bruyne and a goal from Thomas Meunier gave Belgium a 3-1 lead. Substitute Nathan Broadhead pulled one back for Wales, before Arsenal striker Leandro Trossard sealed a 4-2 victory for Belgium.
With this result, Belgium leads the group with 14 points after 6 matches. North Macedonia has 13 points from 7 matches, while Wales has 10 points with one game in hand. Belgium has a significant advantage, as they only have to face Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein in the final two rounds.
In Group D,France drew 2-2 with hosts Iceland on a day when captain Kylian Mbappe was absent due to an ankle injury. Iceland scored two goals from their only two shots on target, while France achieved the same number of goals from nine shots – scored by Christopher Nkunku and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The draw did not affect France's position. Didier Deschamps' team still leads with 10 points. Following them are Ukraine (7 points), Iceland (4) and Azerbaijan (1).
Vietnam vs Nepal: Coach Kim Sang Sik needs to take risks.
Coach Kim Sang Sik has set a high goal for the rematch against Nepal: to secure a spectacular victory and keep a clean sheet at Thong Nhat Stadium. Although Nepal put up a tough fight in the first leg, they are still considered inferior in terms of skill and international experience compared to Vietnam. However, achieving a resounding victory and keeping a clean sheet will be a challenge, as the opponent has had time to figure out Vietnam's playing style.
Under Kim's leadership, the Vietnamese national team and U23 team often start slowly. Many goals only come in the second half, when the opponents are tired. With the goal of advancing deep into the Asian Cup qualifiers, the hard-fought victory against Nepal was not enough to satisfy the fans.
The article suggests that coach Kim Sang Sik needs to demonstrate his abilities.recklessFurthermore: Change the personnel, using dynamic young players like Thanh Nhàn, Gia Hưng, Phi Hoàng, or those less frequently used like Văn Khang and Đình Bắc to create surprises. These new players may not be as strong as the veterans, but their speed, ambition, and element of surprise will be the weapon against the Nepalese defense, which is already familiar with Vietnam's tactics.
In short, to achieve the beautiful goal of a resounding victory without conceding a single goal, coach Kim Sang Sik needs to abandon his familiar safe style of play and accept tactical risks — placing faith in new names to break the opponent's defense.
Son Heung-min beat Ronaldo for the 'Best Asian Player' award.
South Korean striker Son Heung-min won the Asian Player of the Year award for the tenth time, while superstar Cristiano Ronaldo finished third.
With 146 points from the experts, Son was honored with an award from a Chinese newspaper.Titan SportsThis is an annual event. This is the 10th time Son has won the award, following wins in 2014, 2015, and between 2017 and 2023.
His teammate in the South Korean national team, Lee Kang-in, came in second with 105 points. Ronaldo (Al Nassr FC) finished third with 91 points.
Since joining Al Nassr in January 2023, Ronaldo has not won this award. He finished third, fourth, and third respectively in the last three years. In 2023,RonaldoHe finished third behind two South Korean players, Son and Kim Min-jae.
The "Asian Player of the Year" award, established in 2013, honors players who play for national teams or clubs affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Since its inception, only four players have received this award: Keisuke Honda (2013), Shinji Okazaki (2016), Akram Afif (2024), and Son Heung-min (all the remaining years).
