Germany swept past Slovakia and into the 2026 World Cup as Leroy Sane struck twice and Nick Woltemade scored for the third straight match in a thumping 6-0 win in Leipzig on Monday.

The win put Germany through atop Group A and into next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Slovakia finished second and will go into a play-off.

Germany have laboured past underdog opponents in this campaign but were 4-0 up at half-time and humming in Leipzig.

Woltemade continued his golden run with the opening goal after 18 minutes. Serge Gnabry added the second 11 minutes later.

Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz sparked to life late in the first half, laying on two goals for Sane in five minutes.

Ridle Baku and debutant Assan Ouedraogo scored in the second half.

"We're relieved. It's a great moment," Woltemade told Germany's ZDF. "I'm playing, I'm scoring goals and I'm hopefully playing at the World Cup."

"Tonight we showed the quality we have in this team. It was a pleasure," Woltemade, 23, added.

Germany's win also guarantees the four-time World Cup winners a high seeding that should protect them from an early clash with another of the tournament's big guns.

"Every player played well today and worked like a dog," coach Julian Nagelsmann said. "We showed incredible team spirit and pushed ourselves on the pitch from the very beginning."

The Netherlands, meanwhile, sealed their 2026 World Cup berth with a dominant 4-0 victory against Lithuania in Amsterdam.

The Oranje – three-time finalists in 1974, 1978, and 2010 – will participate in their 12th World Cup after finishing top of Group G ahead of Poland, who won 3-2 in Malta, and will have to go through the play-offs next March to reach the tournament in North America.

With a very advantageous goal difference of plus-13 compared to Poland at the start of the match, the Dutch could even have afforded a defeat.

But Ronald Koeman's men entertained the 50,000 spectators at the Johan Cruyff Arena with their high tempo play, too fast for the Lithuanians who were constantly pinned back in their own half.

Despite a compact opposing defence, Koeman's men found the breakthrough after 15 minutes through Tijani Reijnders, perfectly set up by Frenkie De Jong.

The score was 1-0 at halftime despite the overwhelming home dominance thanks to a remarkable performance from Lithuanian goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas.

Shortly before the hour, however, Gertmonas was powerless to prevent Cody Gakpo from making it 2-0 from a penalty for handball.

Two minutes later when Xavi Simons fired home from close range to make it 3-0.

Doneyll Malen sealed the victory another two minutes later and Koeman brought on five substitutes.

Luciano Valente made his Oranje debut for the final ten minutes with a huge cheer going up from the Amsterdam crowd as the 22-year-old Feyenoord attacking midfielder took to the field. (AFP)