HAMBURG: World champions Italy and European title-holders Spain will take major steps toward World Cup qualification with victories on Saturday, but France and Portugal are among big names in international football who can no longer afford to slip up.

Spain will clinch qualification for South Africa next year by winning home matches against Belgium on Saturday and Estonia on Wednesday.

The European champions are well clear on top of Group 5, having won all six of their qualifying games (18 points) and all set for their eighth successive appearance at a World Cup finals.

Bosnia Herzegovina (12), who visit Armenia, and Euro 2008 semifinalists Turkey (8), at home to Estonia, appear now to be battling for second place — with a crunch meeting coming on Wednesday in Istanbul, although Belgium (7) are not entirely out of the running.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has sounded upbeat as his side, top of Group 8 on 14 points, visits Georgia with a point lead and a game in hand over Ireland — coached by Italian Giovanne Trapattoni — who visit Cyprus.

However Lippi will need improved performance in Tbilisi and in Turin against Bulgaria (8) on Wednesday after the Azzurri cut a poor figure at the Confederations Cup and failed to impress in a goalless draw with Switzerland in an August friendly.

The World Cup finals could go ahead without Cristiano Ronaldo and his big-name Portuguese teammates if they slip up at Group 1 leaders Denmark (16) who will be looking possibly to clinch qualification with a win followed by a victory Wednesday in Albania.

However Hungary, enjoying a renaissance under former Dutch international Erwin Koeman, are still in the chase on 13 points, with a key home match against Sweden (9) followed by Portugal’s visit on Wednesday.

The Danes beat Portugal last year, scoring three goals in the last eight minutes to win 3-2, a defeat which set back Carlos Queiroz’s side who have won only two of their six qualifying matches and are level on 9 points with Sweden.

“That game left its mark on us,” Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho admitted. “We’re under a lot of pressure now.”

His club teammate Deco agreed: “There’s not much to say. We have to win. That’s it. We’d have liked to have been in a more comfortable position at this point, but we can still do it and we have to win these upcoming matches.”

France badly need a spot of magic from the likes of Franck Ribery or Thierry Henry in Group 7, where they lie five points behind Serbia (18).

Embattled coach Raymond Domenech wants maximum points at home to Romania on Saturday before Les Bleus visit the group leaders four days later.

Group 2 is tightly-balanced with Greece and Switzerland, the two top teams on 13 points, doing battle in Basle in a meeting of two German coaches in Greece’s Otto Rehhagel and Switzerland’s Ottmar Hitzfeld.

“It’s a decisive game. Nevertheless both teams will still have a further three games to play,” said the veteran Rehhagel.

Giving chase in the group are Israel (9) and Latvia (10) who meet in Ramat Gan, with Israel then up Wednesday against visiting Luxembourg while Latvia have a home encounter with the Swiss.

Group 3 leaders Slovakia on 15 points take on desperate Czech Republic — seven points adrift — while Poland (10) meet Northern Ireland (13) in decisive matches for all four teams, before Slovakia visit Northern Ireland and Poland travel to Slovenia (11) on Wednesday.

Russia should make up ground on Group 4 leaders Germany - four points ahead on 19 points - when they face visiting bottom side Liechtenstein.

A trickier test is expected in Wales on Wednesday for Guus Hiddink’s side, while Germany are at home to Azerbaijan. Finland (10) will need wins in Azerbaijan Saturday and at Liechtenstein Wednesday to stay in the fray.

In Group 6, Ukraine (11) have a home game against minnows Andorra followed by a trip to Belarus (9) as they vie with Croatia (14) for what looks like the runners-up position behind England in Group 6.

Croatia take on Belarus before they travel to England, who have won seven qualifiers out of seven and will book their place in South Africa if they beat Croatia at home.

Scotland need six points in their final two Group 9 games to have a chance of a play-off spot, starting with Saturday’s home game against Macedonia (level on 7 points) before already-qualified Netherlands are the visitors.

Norway (6) will meanwhile be looking for a win at Iceland before Macedonia are the visitors on Wednesday.

The top team from each group goes through, while the eight best-placed runners-up will qualify for a play-off for four further places at the finals.