Prediction: Serbia vs Latvia

Serbia and Latvia, guaranteed to finish third and fourth in Group K, wrap up their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaigns at the Dubočica Stadium on Sunday.

Latvia arrive in Leskovac already eliminated from contention, while Serbia still cling to faint hopes despite Thursday’s discouraging 2-0 loss to England.

Serbia

Missing all-time top scorer Aleksandar Mitrović through injury, a reshaped Serbia side—led for the first time by new coach Veljko Paunović—could not break down England’s resolute defense in miserable Wembley conditions.

Goals from Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze on either side of half-time, combined with Albania’s victory over Andorra, confirmed that Serbia cannot finish in the top two of their qualifying section.

However, Paunović’s men may still earn a lifeline through the UEFA Nations League. Their ranking from the 2024/25 edition could secure a playoff berth, though that depends on other results. Priority goes to the four best-ranked Nations League group winners who fail to finish in the top two, after which remaining spots pass to the highest-ranked non-group winners.

Sunday’s game is therefore largely academic, but Serbia will aim to avoid a third straight home defeat without scoring, having lost 5-0 and 1-0 to England and Albania respectively since September.

Team News

Paunović’s plans at Wembley were disrupted before the break when Ivan Ilić suffered a knee injury and exited after 39 minutes. The Torino midfielder is almost certain to miss Sunday’s match, with Lazar Samardžić expected to replace him after Aleksandar Stanković filled in during the England game.

Mitrović remains unavailable, so Paunović should once again choose Dušan Vlahović to lead the line ahead of Luka Jović.

Latvia

While Serbia still have a slim chance of progressing, Latvia entered November’s internationals playing only for pride, having collected just five points from their first seven matches.

Nine points adrift of second-placed Albania and 16 behind runaway leaders England, the 11 Wolves’ wait for a maiden World Cup appearance—and a second major tournament after Euro 2004—will continue.

Paolo Nicolato’s team contested a friendly on Thursday, drawing 0-0 with North Macedonia in a result that stretched their winless run to eight games in all competitions, including six straight in Group K.

Latvia opened qualifying with a 1-0 win over Andorra but have since added only two more points—both at home—and scored just three further goals in six outings. They also lost 1-0 to Serbia in Riga on September 6, when Vlahović struck the decisive goal. Sunday’s clash will be Latvia’s first visit to Serbia since the hosts became independent.

Team News

Nicolato must cope with two defensive suspensions: Andrejs Cigaņiks and captain Antonijs Černomordijs are banned after accumulating yellow cards.

Cigaņiks’s absence could see Maksims Toņiševs recalled—he scored an own goal in last month’s 5-0 defeat to England—while Vitalijs Jagodinskis, currently playing in Cambodia, is expected to deputize for Černomordijs.

Conclusion

Serbia were undone by two superb strikes at Wembley, but Latvia’s lack of attacking threat should make life easier for Paunović’s side on home soil.

Even without Mitrović, Serbia are strong favorites to claim a first win under their new coach, though they face an anxious wait to learn whether their playoff hopes survive.