2026 FIFA World Cup Qualified Teams
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualified Teams are gradually being confirmed as the road to the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup takes shape.
The tournament — hosted jointly by Canada, Mexico, and the United States — will be the largest in World Cup history.
As of October 2025, a total of 21 nations have officially booked their places at the 2026 World Cup. The three host nations — Canada, Mexico, and the USA — qualified automatically, while the remaining teams have secured their spots through regional qualifying campaigns.
The final lineup will feature 48 teams, with 27 more places still to be decided through continental qualifiers across Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
These qualification rounds are expected to conclude by November 2025, followed by an intercontinental playoff in March 2026 to determine the last two spots.
This expanded format — increasing from 32 to 48 teams — brings new excitement and opportunities for nations worldwide.
For the first time ever, Oceania has been granted a direct qualification berth, ensuring broader global representation at football’s biggest event.
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualified Teams by Confederation
The following teams have officially qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, organized by their continental confederations:
AFC (Asia) – 8 Slots
- Japan (qualified March 20, 2025)
- Iran (qualified March 25, 2025)
- Uzbekistan (qualified June 5, 2025)
- South Korea (qualified June 5, 2025)
- Jordan (qualified June 5, 2025)
- Australia (qualified June 10, 2025)
Two additional AFC teams will qualify through ongoing qualification rounds.
CONCACAF (North, Central America & Caribbean) – 6 Slots (3 hosts + 3 qualifiers)
Three additional CONCACAF teams will qualify through the ongoing third round of qualification.
CONMEBOL (South America) – 6 Slots
- Argentina (qualified March 25, 2025)
- Brazil (qualified June 10, 2025)
- Ecuador (qualified June 10, 2025)
- Uruguay (qualified September 4, 2025)
- Colombia (qualified September 4, 2025)
- Paraguay (qualified September 4, 2025)
OFC (Oceania) – 1 Slot
- New Zealand (qualified March 24, 2025)
UEFA (Europe) – 16 Slots
No UEFA teams have qualified as of September 2025. Qualification is ongoing with 54 teams competing for 16 spots.
CAF (Africa) – 9 Slots
- Morocco (qualified 5, Sep 2025)
- Tunisia (qualified 8, Sep 2025)
- Egypt (qualified 8, Oct 2025)
- Algeria (qualified 9, Oct 2025)
- Ghana (qualified 13, Oct 2025)
Note: One team from Africa will enter the intercontinental playoffs.
World Cup 2026 group format
The group stage draw for the 2026 World Cup is scheduled for late 2025 . The tournament will feature a new format due to the expansion to 48 teams:
- The 48 qualified teams will be divided into 12 groups of 4 teams each (Group A through Group L)
- Each team will play three round-robin matches within their group
- The top two teams from each group (24 teams) will advance to the knockout stage
- Additionally, the eight best third-place teams across all groups will advance to the knockout stage, bringing the total number of knockout stage participants to 32 teams
- The knockout phase will begin with a Round of 32, followed by Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place match, and final.
The tournament will be the longest in World Cup history, spanning 39 days from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with a total of 104 matches played across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
How does the intercontinental playoff work?
Six teams will participate in the intercontinental playoff: one each from AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, and CONMEBOL, plus two from OFC (though New Caledonia represents OFC in the playoff).
The two highest-ranked teams receive byes to the playoff finals, while the other four teams compete in semifinals. The two winners of the playoff finals qualify for the World Cup
Which teams are making their World Cup debut in 2026?
As of October 2025, Uzbekistan and Jordan are set to make their World Cup debut in 2026. More first-time participants may qualify as the qualification process continues.
Where will the final be played?
The 2026 World Cup Final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (rebranded as “New York New Jersey Stadium” for the tournament due to FIFA’s sponsorship policies) on July 19, 2026.