Lithuania vs Finland

Darius and Girėnas Stadium forms the backdrop for a low-profile 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying game between Lithuania and Finland.

Following a disastrous Nations League campaign where they were relegated after finishing bottom of Group C2 with six defeats, Lithuania commenced their World Cup qualification campaign against Group G favorites Poland in troubled spirits. However, they unexpectedly held their ground until a late goal sealed a 1-0 defeat, extending their poor run in World Cup qualifiers to just two wins in their last 19 games (D3, L14). Worryingly, Edgaras Jankauskas’ charges have lost eight consecutive games across all competitions, though the last five saw them go down by just a one-goal margin. This unenviable run features three home defeats on the trot, with each seeing them concede precisely once in the first 35 minutes, highlighting the potential for a rusty start.

Like their hosts, Finland are in pursuit of their first-ever World Cup appearance after kicking off their qualifying journey with a narrow 1-0 win against Malta in manager Jacob Friis’ debut. On the bright side, the victory ended Finland’s run of eight matches without a win (D1, L7), as they now face Lithuania for only the second time since the turn of the century, having lost the last encounter 1-0 in 2014. Beating Malta last week ensured Finland extended their streak of at least one win in every WCQ cycle since 1966. However, the visitors had lost four consecutive away matches before their win over Malta, scoring just once in those games.