Manchester United academy graduates produce heroics as seven former players secure World Cup qualification

Two former Manchester United academy stars produced moments of magic to secure World Cup qualification for their respective nations on Tuesday night.

World Cup qualification came to an end as the final 48 teams for the summer tournament were confirmed following completion of the various play-off rounds. It was a night of mixed emotions for several stars with Old Trafford links, with two academy graduates at the heart of their nations' celebrations.

There was also plenty of heartbreak for a few familiar faces, with penalty shootouts required to determine two of the six play-off matches earlier this week. Here is a look at what happened across the globe and the United links you might have missed.

Tuanzebe and Kovar produce heroics

The biggest story from a Manchester United perspective saw former goalkeeper Matej Kovar produce more penalty heroics as Czechia defeated Denmark on penalties. After the match finished 1-1 in normal time, both sides scored in extra time to force an eventual penalty shootout.

Kovar denied Anders Dreyer from the spot, while he did enough to distract Rasmus Hojlund, who hit the crossbar, while Mathias Jensen fired well over. United loanee Hojlund had impressed during the match before his penalty miss, while former teammate Christian Eriksen had a quieter match but was successful from his penalty kick.

Elsewhere in Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Italy in another penalty shootout and Turkey defeated Kosovo to book their place in the final tournament. United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was an unused substitute during the play-off campaign but can look forward to being part of the World Cup squad this summer.

The other European play-off match saw Sweden strike late to defeat Poland, as former United academy star Anthony Elanga opened the scoring for his side in the 3-2 win. He and former teammate Victor Lindelof are both set to be part of the Sweden squad for the tournament this summer.

Over in the intercontinental play-off matches, Zidane Iqbal was an unused substitute as Iraq defeated Bolivia, and academy graduate Axel Tuanzebe was the hero alongside former full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, as D.R. Congo defeated Jamaica in extra-time to book their place at the tournament. The Burnley defender scored the winner in extra time as his nation qualified for their first World Cup in 52 years.

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