The road to the 2026 World Cup is well underway, with qualification matches taking place across the globe. The tournament, scheduled to kick off next summer, will see a record 48 teams compete, a significant increase from the 32 teams that participated in Qatar 2022. As of now, 30 nations have secured their spots in this prestigious tournament.
Qualified Teams for the 2026 World Cup
Here’s a breakdown of the teams that have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup:
- Host Nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
- Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
- Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
- Concacaf: None yet
- Europe: England, France, Croatia
- Oceania: New Zealand
- South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
Upcoming Qualification Matches
The final qualification matches are set to take place from November 16-18, where several teams have a shot at clinching their spots:
- Austrian Scenario: Avoid defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina on November 18.
- Belgium’s Opportunity: Can secure a fourth consecutive World Cup berth with a win or draw against Liechtenstein on November 18.
- Haitian Hopes: Must defeat Nicaragua and rely on Costa Rica to beat Honduras.
- Norwegian Dreams: Close to qualifying after a decisive win over Estonia.
- Italian Challenge: Must defeat Norway by nine goals to stay in contention for qualification.
Continental Breakdown of Qualification Spots
For the 2026 tournament, FIFA divided the 48 qualification spots among different regions as follows:
| Region | Spots |
|---|---|
| Host Nations | 3 |
| Asia | 8 |
| Africa | 9 |
| Concacaf | 3 |
| Europe | 16 |
| Oceania | 1 |
| South America | 6 |
| Intercontinental Playoff | 2 |
As qualification nears its conclusion, fans worldwide eagerly anticipate the draw on December 5, which will finalize the line-up for the 2026 World Cup. With several nations vying for the remaining spots, the coming days promise to be filled with intense soccer action.
