2026 World Cup: Who has qualified and who can make it?
We are one year away from the 2026 World Cup and the battle for qualification is in full gear. And while the definitive list of the 48 teams that will participate in the largest edition of the tournament hasn't been set, we do know the teams that are currently in and which ones are closer to booking their spot. Let's dive in.
What we know:
Who is in (alphabetical order, history of World Cup appearances):
What's at stake this week:
Asia (AFC) — Australia became the sixth country in the region to book its World Cup spot as it will join other regional powerhouses in Iran, Japan, and South Korea. There are also two surprise sides in Jordan and Uzbekistan who will be making their first ever World Cup trips next year.
South America (CONMEBOL) — Brazil has joined Argentina as the two teams from the region that have qualified for the World Cup. Ecuador is on the verge of clinching as well. Other top teams like Colombia and Uruguay will have to wait until qualifying matches pick back up in the fall.
Europe (UEFA) — No teams will be able to clinch a spot during this window. Four notable squads – Spain, France, Germany, and Portugal — still haven't begun qualifying due to playing in the UEFA Nations League finals last week. Other heavyweights like England, Italy and the Netherlands have begun their World Cup qualifying campaigns.
North America/Central America/Caribbean (CONCACAF) — Aside from the three co-hosts, no one from this region has booked their spot yet. The second of three rounds of qualifying wraps up on Tuesday, but look for teams like Costa Rica, Honduras, and Jamaica to remain in the mix.
Africa (CAF) — Another region that won't see any qualified participants just yet, with these teams not playing in June. Egypt has a sizable lead in its qualifying group, as do other contenders like Morocco and Senegal.
Oceania (OFA) — This is done and dusted, with New Zealand already in and having this confederation's only direct spot. The tiny island of New Caledonia, officially a French overseas territory, still has a shot as a participant in the intercontinental playoff.
The intercontinental playoffs, explained:
Ahead of the World Cup, two spots will be clinched in the playoffs that will take place in March 2026. Six teams will participate, with Europe (UEFA) being excluded from this round:
The two teams with the highest FIFA rankings will get byes to the two separate finals. The other four teams will face each other to reach those finals. The two teams to emerge go to the World Cup.
Region-by-region breakdown:
AFC (Asia)How many World Cup teams can qualify? 8 automatically, 1 enters the playoffsWho is in?Australia, Iran, Jordan, Japan, South Korea, UzbekistanWhat's on tap:
The qualifying tournament in Asia actually started back in October 2023, and we have now concluded Round 3 of the qualifying process. Six teams have booked World Cup spots, with two more direct spots up (and one playoff berth) up for grabs when action picks back up in September.
In Group A, Iran has qualified along with tournament debut side Uzbekistan. Both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar will move onto Round 4 for another shot at qualifying. Kyrgyzstan and North Korea were eliminated. In Group B, South Korea is in and so is debut side Jordan. Iraq and Oman will move onto Round 4 for another shot at qualifying. Palestine and Kuwait
In Group C, Japan and Australia are in. Saudi Arabia and Indonesia will move onto Round 4 for another shot at qualifying. China and Bahrain move on.
Round 4 will consist of six teams (the third- and fourth-placed teams from Round 3), and split into two groups. Those group winners advance to the World Cup. The runners-up go to Round 5, with the winner then heading to the intercontinental playoff.
Here's how the groups after Round 3 finished out, with World Cup-qualified teams noted by an asterisk (*). Full standings can be found here.
_____
CAF (Africa)
How many World Cup teams can qualify?9 automatically, 1 enters the playoffsWho is in?None qualified yetWhat's on tap:
Nothing in June. Having last played in March, the 54 teams (now reduced to 52) return to action in September.
The nine group winners will advance directly to the World Cup, and the four best second-place teams will fight for an intercontinental playoff spot. At the halfway point of the qualification phase, there are plenty of top teams in control of their respective groups.
Teams like Egypt and South Africa are in control of their respective groups for the moment. Morocco, the 2022 World Cup surprise semifinals, are also in control in their group. The one wrinkle is Group E – which has been reduced to four teams after the disqualification of Congo and Eritrea – and how that could potentially affect whoever finishes in second place, since it may not have enough points to be considered for the intercontinental playoff phase.
Here are the top two teams from each group, as things stand. Full standings can be found here.
_____
CONCACAF (North & Central America and the Caribbean)
How many World Cup teams can qualify?6 automatically (3 co-hosts, 3 through qualifying), 2 enter the playoffs
Who is in?Canada, Mexico, United States
What's on tap:
The three co-hosts are in, leaving three more automatic spots for the region. There are also two spots for the intercontinental playoff to be determined. Initially 32 teams began the process, with now 30 teams – six groups of five teams – in the second round of qualification. The top sides from the six groups advance to the third round.
In Group A, Honduras is looking to advance. Cuba and Bermuda are the main contenders battling for second place.
In Group B, two previous World Cup participants – Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago – are battling for the top two spots. Those two teams won't play each other until later this year though.
In Group C, Curaçao and Haiti will move onto the third round of qualifying.
In Group D, Nicaragua and Panama are also in control to move on, with Guyana having an outside shot. In Group E, Guatemala is the surprise side and will be joining Jamaica as the two teams that move on. In Group F, it feels like it's anyone's group to win. Suriname currently leads with El Salvador and Puerto Rico on its heels.
Here are the top two teams from each group, as things stand. Full standings can be found here.
Once the two teams from each group are settled, those 12 teams will be placed in three groups of four. Each team will play its opponents in round-robin home-and-away matches. The three group winners advance to the World Cup and the two best group runners-up move to the playoffs.
_____
CONMEBOL (South America)
How many World Cup teams can qualify?6 automatically, 1 enters the playoffsWho is in?Argentina, Brazil
What's on tap: It's shaping up to be a fairly cut-and-dry campaign in this 10-team region as both Argentina and Brazil are now into the World Cup. The simplest way for Ecuador to assure its place is to beat or draw Peru, after Venezuela lost to Uruguay on Tuesday. Colombia still needs more results to qualify after drawing with Argentina.
Bolivia and Peru still have a small window but Chile are officially eliminated. Here's how the current table stands. Full standings can be found here.
_____
OFC (Oceania)
How many World Cup teams have qualified?1 automatically, 1 enters the playoffsWho is in?New Zealand, New Caledonia (playoff team)What's on tap:The 11-team qualifying tournament from this region, consisting of countries and territories in the South Pacific, concluded in March. One team emerged from Round 1, joining the seven top-ranked teams of the region. Those eight teams were split into two groups for Round 2, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. Semifinals, March 21New Caledonia 3, Tahiti 0New Zealand 7, Fiji 0Final, March 24New Zealand 3, New Caledonia 0
New Zealand will head to the World Cup, while New Caledonia will be one of the six teams in the intercontinental playoff. Full standings can be found here.
_____UEFA (Europe)
How many World Cup teams can qualify?16 (12 automatically, 4 through a UEFA-only playoff)Who is in?None qualified yetWhat's on tap:There are 54 (excluding Russia) teams who began the qualifying process in March. Some teams have already begun to play (England, Norway, Poland) while the teams who were ousted in the Nations League quarterfinals (including Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands) will only begin this week. The four Nations Leagues semifinalists – France, Germany, Spain, Portugal – won't enter the fold until September.
In all, there are 12 groups of either four or five teams each. The winner of each group will clinch World Cup spots.
The 12 runners-up move to a subsequent playoff round, added by the four best-ranked Nations League group winners that did not finish their World Cup qualifying group in first or second place. These 16 teams will then be bracketed to clinch the remaining four World Cup spots in March 2026.European teams cannot reach the World Cup via the intercontinental playoff.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
34 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
The Price of Football w/Kieran Maguire: Macro Matters
This week we're talking the economics and finances of the world's game with professor, author, and podcaster Kieran Maguire of Liverpool University. We apologize in advance for those who thought this show was about gridiron football, but with the Club World Cup beginning June 14, we thought it would be interesting to discuss football/soccer finance and some economic implications of the 2026 World Cup in North America. Professor Maguire joins Macro Matters hosts Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence chief US rates strategist, and Business of Sports co-host and EM Lens host Damian Sassower, chief emerging market fixed income strategist. The group discusses football club valuations, the economic benefits (or pitfalls) of hosting the World Cup, and how clubs used debt to finance player transfers and club operations.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Is Mikel Arteta's intensity wearing Arsenal down?
Arsenal's transformation under Mikel Arteta has been undeniable. After finishing eighth in the Premier League in his first two seasons following his appointment in December 2019, Arteta guided them to fifth in 2021–22 and then to three consecutive runner-up finishes. In 2024–25, the 43-year-old Spaniard also led Arsenal to their first Champions League semi-final since 2009, where they were beaten 3–1 on aggregate by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. Advertisement Like many top managers, Arteta is known for his intensity. But after another season of missed opportunities where Arsenal's league form tailed off late on, is that intensity wearing his side down? This was one listener's question that Ian Stone, Adrian Clarke and Art de Roché delved into on the latest episode of Handbrake Off. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available to listen to via the Handbrake Off feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Ian: This question is from Richard (listener) who asked, 'Do you think Mikel Arteta's intensity has led to squad fatigue? They can't even have a relaxing dinner together without a pickpocket stealing their things.' If you don't know the context of that, you really need to look it up. But Adrian, do you think his intensity has led to squad fatigue? Adrian: I wouldn't say that's an issue, although mental fatigue is a thing. I do think that if you have an intense manager and someone who does a lot of talking, you do need to have something tangible at the end of it sooner rather than later. So there is a bit of pressure now on Arteta to deliver trophies because if you're listening to the same guy giving you team talks year in and year out, but you're not winning stuff, sooner or later there is a danger that some might stop listening. Or they may stop listening as intently, and not have that same level of buy-in, so there is a threat of that. But I don't see it as being a problem in the here and now. That's why it's so important that you refresh the squad each year with new faces, and faces that are really into what the manager is saying. That can then be really infectious, and it rubs back off on the players, and together as a group they maintain that total buy-in. That can be the same with staff members, because certain managers who stay at clubs for a long time do refresh their backroom team. That's something maybe to consider if not this year, next year, just to have a fresh voice. I do think that's important, especially if you haven't got over the line yet and you haven't climbed that mountain. But we don't know what goes on behind the scenes. I'm pretty sure that they get plenty of downtime and can also have a laugh. I'm sure Arteta's not always on them, we don't see all of that, but I'm sure they have plenty of laughs and time off. Advertisement Ian: Art anything to add to that? I agree with you Adrian that we don't know what's going on behind the scenes. There's no doubt Arteta's intense, and Ethan Nwaneri touched on that when you spoke to him Art, but it's not like he's on them 24 hours a day. I remember Man United's young players talking about when Sir Alex Ferguson was on the phone asking, 'Where are you? Why aren't you home yet?' And all that stuff. But that's what you need, you need full focus. It's not like we haven't played great the last few years, we're just trying to get over the line. Art: Yeah definitely, and what Adrian said about refreshing things is quite interesting as well. The manager that actually came to my mind was Sir Alex Ferguson when Adrian mentioned the backroom staff. I remember he changed his assistant manager every few seasons, and it seemed to work quite well. But also if we talk about just general fatigue in terms of fitness, I think that's where the squad building comes into it as well. Because if you look at the last couple of seasons, and I know we've spoken about it before, the knock-on effect of having one injury means that one player might have to play a lot more than expected. We've seen it at right-back with Ben White and Jurrien Timber, where Timber's ACL injury meant White had to play a lot more minutes than expected that season, and it came back to haunt him. Ian: So you think that affected him the year after with the injury? Art: Yeah potentially because he ended up playing pretty much all the minutes, so all of that factors into it too. There's physical fatigue alongside mental fatigue as well. But hopefully, a lot of these players without the Club World Cup and no real men's international tournament this summer get a good rest. Remember, can listen to full episodes of Handbrake Off for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. (Top Photo:)
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch World Test Championship Final 2025 cricket on ICC TV (It's free)
You can watch all five days of Australia vs South Africa live on ICC TV, streaming for free. The stream includes English commentary as the Aussie bowlers look to turn over Proteas batters cheaply following a 14 wicket opening day. The worldwide platform will show every wicket and boundary to a variety of fans across the globe - find the full list here. Can you access ICC TV in the U.S., U.K. and Australia? Read on and we'll show you how to watch World Test Championship 2025 live streams from anywhere with a VPN for FREE. Cricket fans in countries from Afghanistan to Vietnam can watch the 2025 World Test Championship live for FREE on ICC TV. You can sign into ICC TV via Google, Facebook or Apple accounts or alternatively your e-mail. Not at home right now? Use NordVPN or another VPN service to trick your device into thinking you're at home in one of the countries that has the coverage for free. We watched Day 1 and the quality on the platform was superb! Although ICC TV is only available in select countries, those who are from the nations streaming the action for free but visiting the likes of Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. can stream it through the use of VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software sets your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So, it's ideal for sports fans away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market: There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 110 countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. Get up to 70% off now and an Amazon gift card if you're a U.S. or Canadian resident! It is really easy to watch, here's how. Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view your Czech Republican service, you'd select Czech Republic from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to ICC TV and watch Day 2 right now. ICC TV show full coverage of the action, with the first ball arriving at 10:30 a.m. (BST) each day. A star-studded commentary panel has arrived at Lord's for the final featuring former greats including Matthew Hayden, Graeme Smith, Stuart Broad, Shaun Pollock and Kevin Pietersen, alongside leading broadcasters Nasser Hussain, Ravi Shastri, Mel Jones, Ian Smith, Ian Bishop and Dinesh Karthik. Daily highlights are also provided if you have missed out on the day's action. Remember. Use NordVPN if you're outside your usual country on vacation. Australia Innings 1: 212 all out (56.4) B. Webster, 72 | S. Smith, 66 South Africa Innings 1: 43-4 (22) R. Rickelton, 16 | D. Bedingham, 8 We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
