World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Schedule, scores, dates, times, standings
The road to the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup is intensifying as teams across the globe vie for a spot in the expanded 48-team tournament set to kick off on June 11, 2026, in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. With the qualification process well underway, several nations have already secured their places, while others continue to battle through rigorous qualifying matches. Keep reading for an overview of the current state of World Cup qualifiers - all times Eastern. AFC
The Asian qualifiers are in the third round, with teams competing for eight direct spots and one intercontinental playoff berth. View the full AFC standings. Qualified Teams
Alexi Lalas and David Mosse broke down who they believe will be the starters for the USMNT in the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup. Upcoming Matches
Thursday, June 5
Tuesday, June 10 CAF
Africa's qualification process involves nine groups, with the group winners qualifying directly and the four best runners-up entering playoffs for a chance at an intercontinental playoff spot. View the full CAF standings. CONCACAF
With the United States, Mexico, and Canada automatically qualifying as hosts, other CONCACAF nations are competing for the remaining spots through group stages and playoffs. View the full CONCACAF standings. Qualified Teams USA (as co-host)
Mexico (as co-host)
Canada (as co-host) Upcoming Matches
Wednesday, June 4
Friday, June 6
Saturday, June 7
Tuesday, June 10 CONMEBOL
The South American qualifiers are as competitive as ever, with traditional powerhouses and emerging teams striving for one of the six direct spots and one intercontinental playoff berth allocated to the region. View the full CONMEBOL standings. Qualified Teams Upcoming Matches
Thursday, June 5
Friday, June 6
Tuesday, June 10 UEFA
Europe has 16 spots for the 2026 World Cup, with qualification structured through 12 groups. The group winners will qualify directly, while the best runners-up will enter playoffs. View the full UEFA standings. Upcoming Matches
Friday, June 6
Saturday, June 7
Monday, June 9
Tuesday, June 10 OFC
For the first time, the Oceania region has a guaranteed spot in the World Cup. View the OFC qualifying standings. Qualified Teams 2026 FIFA World Cup Teams
The following teams have secured their spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
Hosts
For more, visit this updated list. How many teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
For the first time ever, 48 teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The previous total was 32 teams. How can I watch the World Cup?
Matches will be broadcast on FOX, FS1, FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App. When is the final 2026 FIFA World Cup draw?
The final draw will take place in December 2025 at a location to be determined in the United States.
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Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Eberechi Eze gets on his bike as England's World Cup preparations heat up
Eberechi Eze (left) and Myles Lewis-Skelly stretch out in Girona but the hard work was being done in a heated tent. Eberechi Eze (left) and Myles Lewis-Skelly stretch out in Girona but the hard work was being done in a heated tent. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Eberechi Eze has opened up on the punishing training sessions at England's warm-weather camp here that Thomas Tuchel believes will prepare the players for the heat of the World Cup next summer. Tuchel and his squad are at the exclusive Camiral Golf & Wellness resort, partly to prepare for the qualifier against Andorra in Barcelona on Saturday. But the focus since Monday has been to look at the bigger picture, which has involved monitoring the reaction of the players to extreme temperatures – with the help of biometric tablets and innovative sports-science methods. Advertisement Related: Tuchel tells Alexander-Arnold to take England defensive role 'very seriously' The players have been asked to take a tablet and cycle for 45 minutes at a consistent level inside a tent that has been heated to a minimum of 35C. The Football Association's experts have been able to track their core body temperatures under stress – with the idea being that it will inform how they manage them at the finals in the US, Canada and Mexico. Eze, who finished the domestic season on a high with the winner for Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, said it was the first time he had seen such an approach in training. 'It was quite difficult to do,' he said. 'It was taking the tablets and you had to be on the bike for 45 minutes, which is a long time to be on a bike. Advertisement 'You had to keep going and they monitored your heart rate, your actual temperature. It was just understanding and it was definitely helpful … a bit of an insight into yourself and how you will cope in those situations.' Cole Palmer, the Chelsea midfielder, said: 'It was tough. It was 35C, 36C inside the tents and we had to get to a certain watts [level] on the bike and maintain it. For 45 minutes.' Eze has been on fire since he scored his first England goal in the 3-0 victory against Latvia in late March, which was Tuchel's second game in charge. The first was the 2-0 win against Albania three days before. Tuchel has talked about the goal having inspired Eze, who went back to Palace and finished the season with nine in 13 matches. The one that will always be remembered was against City to secure Palace's first major trophy and a place in the Europa League, although there is a complication on that front because of the majority stake that the club's co-owner, John Textor, holds in Lyon. The Ligue 1 club have also qualified for the Europa League. Uefa's rules forbid individuals from being involved with more than one club in the same competition to avoid conflicts of interest. Advertisement 'I really hope that Palace do get the reward because of what it took to actually achieve that,' Eze said. 'It would be a huge shame if that was not the case but I'm trusting that it will work out in the end. It should work itself out because there's players who have worked to be in this position. There are fans who have been with the team throughout the whole season and experienced everything. 'The main thing for me after the FA Cup win … when we were leaving the stadium, when we were on the [open-top bus] parade was looking at the fans' faces and seeing people in tears and people overwhelmed by what we've done. That's something that will live with me for ever.' The FA has announced that Lee Carsley has signed a two-year contract extension with the England Under-21s. The manager is preparing to lead the team at the European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia this month, having won the tournament in 2023.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Germany 1 Portugal 2 – Ronaldo the hero as 137th international goal seals place in Nations League final
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 137th international goal to help Portugal beat Germany for the first time in 25 years and qualify for Sunday's Nations League final. The Portugal captain scored the winning goal in the 68th minute, staying onside and tapping home from close range after being set up the brilliant Nuno Mendes. Advertisement Germany had led shortly after the break through Liverpool target Florian Wirtz, the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder nodding home following a lovely dinked assist from Joshua Kimmich. But Martinez's team were level when Francisco Conceicao, son of Portugal great Sergio — who scored three the last time they beat Germany back in Euro 2000 — glided past a couple of challenges and whipped a shot past Marc Andre ter-Stegen. Portugal will face the winner of tomorrow night's semi-final in Stuttgart between Spain and France in the final in Munich on Sunday. Tim Spiers and Seb Stafford-Bloor analyse the key talking points… It looked like it wasn't going to be Cristiano Ronaldo's night. One half chance went begging, then another, then he sent a free header over the bar, then he couldn't divert Pedro Neto's cut-back goalwards. An accusation levelled at the 40-year-old in recent years (fairly, given his record) is that Ronaldo scores for fun in the qualifiers (10 goals in nine games qualifying for the Euros, five in five in the Nations League group), but comes up short in the big tournaments (no goals in five at the Euros, one in five at the World Cup) and the really important matches. Well, here he was, in a big international semi-final, scoring the winning goal. Sure it was a tap-in, but the movement which preceded it was excellent. He lurked in behind the Germany defence after a previous attack had broken down, then sprung into action as Nuno Mendes dovetailed beautifully with Fernandes, playing a one-two and then picking out the Al-Nassr striker, whose club future is unclear with his contract expiring this summer. He timed his run to perfection to stay onside and finish. It was his 137th goal in his 220th cap and Ronaldo, for the umpteenth occasion, was Portugal's hero. Tim Spiers Wirtz got his goal and given how much attention was on him — and how aware of that he probably was — the relief in his celebration was understandable. It was a nice goal, too; a bit fortunate, but still typical of how effective his pass-and-move game can be in tight spaces. This was not an easy night for Wirtz. Firstly, because he has not been in his best form since recovering from the injury he suffered against Bayern Munich in March and was only really playing himself back into form and fitness when the German season ended. Advertisement Also, this was an unfamiliar German attack that he was placed in the centre of. Nick Woltemade was making his debut and played well but has positional traits that often overlap with the role of a No 10 and need adapting too. At times, they got in each other's way and will need time to properly develop their understanding. In the past, Wirtz has played alongside Jamal Musiala for the national team, as one of two No 10s behind Kai Havertz. This was a very different situation; there are few similarities between Musiala and Leroy Sane, for instance. Still, for a player with a major transfer hanging over him, this was still an instructive showing. Wirtz was cavalier with possession at times and was occasionally too forceful in trying to create opportunities, but he moved the point of Germany's attack well, was bright and light-footed in possession, and skipped through a few tackles. Was it classic Wirtz? No, his wattage was down on what it usually is. But that player — with all his slashing ambition and dynamic ball-carrying — will probably re-emerge after a full pre-season. Seb Stafford-Bloor Bruno Fernandes endured a frustrating and fairly anonymous evening in Munich. That was little surprise, seen as after a gruelling season of 64 appearances for club and country he was playing his fifth match in his fifth different country in the space of just 15 days. His recent run of matches, including on Manchester United's post-season tour to Asia, reads… He played 90 minutes in the first two games, then 45 minutes in each of the friendlies, plus 90 minutes here. Plus 15,000 miles of travel, not to mention making one of the biggest decisions of his career in spurning the advances of Al-Hilal. Anyway, he looked absolutely cooked in Munich in a dreadful first half; no shots, no key passes, no accurate crosses from three attempted and he lost possession eight times. Advertisement Fernandes' opening 45 minutes also included picking up a painful knock just before half-time when being unintentionally caught on the ankle by Florian Wirtz's boot, which required treatment and led to lots of limping and head shaking. He rallied in the second half and produced a moment of brilliance with a shot that deflected inches wide, then turned on the charm with some sublime touches including in the lead-up to the winner. Where he found the energy reserves from is unclear. But the guy undoubtedly needs a few weeks off. Tim Spiers Germany had a strong cast of missing players. No Musiala, no Havertz, no Nico Schlotterbeck and no Antonio Rudiger. Evaluating where they are without those key components, on the performance of an experimental side, feels quite mean spirited. And yet there are still concerns with the World Cup now a year away. Both Portuguese goals were the result of the kind of systemic breakdowns that have plagued Julian Nagelsmann's team at bad moments in the past. The one conceded to Ronaldo was especially sloppy and had no place in international football. Yes, the Nations League is nobody's priority and these are tired players, at the end of a season in which many of them have been competing domestically and in Europe. But Germany consider themselves among the favourites next summer and there is great deal of optimism already. But what is the confidence based on? The body of work that suggests that they are a contender is quite slender, consisting really just of the wins over France and Netherlands in early 2024, and a relatively strong tournament performance in last summer's European Championship. The harder truth, as this game showed, is that there are still too many fringe players who cannot be depended upon and Nagelsmann will need all of his first-choice players available next summer if he and his team are to live up to expectation. Advertisement Beneath this team's top soil, things are not that healthy. Seb Stafford-Bloor Portugal's trio of Champions League-winning Paris Saint-Germain players could have been forgiven for having an off-night here, just four days after they enjoyed the best night of their careers in the same stadium in Munich. On the contrary, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Vitinha all played a key role in Portugal's comeback victory. Mendes in particular was exceptional, taking up his typically advanced position in the opposition half, combining nicely with Pedro Neto who enjoyed a fruitful first 20 minutes, and then later setting up Ronaldo's winner with a give-and-go, a surge into the box and a perfect pass. Joao Neves played at right-back, a position he has occasionally frequented for PSG under Luis Enrique. He was tidy enough defensively without the ball, then when Portugal were in possession he sauntered into midfield and was at the heart of Portugal's best moments in the first half, with Germany not knowing how and where to pick him up. Vitinha came off the bench in place of Ruben Neves and it was his introduction, along with goalscorer Conceicao and full-back Nelson Semedo on 57 minutes, which turned the game back in Portugal's favour. The midfield maestro upped Portugal's tempo and positivity, getting them on the front foot and asking questions of the Germany defence. Roberto Martinez deserves credit for an intriguing team selection which foxed Germany, and then making the bold early substitutions to turn the tide after the break. Martinez has an embarrassment of riches (Rafael Leao, Goncalo Ramos and Joao Felix didn't even get off the bench here) and often struggles to fit Portugal's ridiculous list of talents into a coherent team, but he managed it here on arguably his finest night since taking charge in 2023. Tim Spiers Sunday, June 8: Spain or France; Nations League third-place play-off (Stuttgart), 2pm UK, 9am ET or final (Munich), 8pm UK, 3pm ET Sunday, June 8: Spain or France; Nations League third-place play-off (Stuttgart), 2pm UK, 9am ET or final (Munich), 8pm UK, 3pm ET (Lars Baron/2025 Getty Images)
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Is Matt Turner the USMNT's No. 1 GK?: 'That's a fully loaded question for me'
Matt Turner doesn't necessarily see himself as the No. 1 goalkeeper for the U.S. men's national team and goes into every training camp with the mindset that he has to fight for his job just like anyone else. So with the Gold Cup beginning on June 14 and the World Cup almost exactly one year away, how does he see the pecking order of USMNT goalkeepers shaking out and what does that mean for him? "That's a fully loaded question for me," Turner told reporters Wednesday. "I don't see myself as the 'No. 1 No. 1' all the time. I think that's my mindset going into every camp right now is that every inch, every opportunity needs to be fought for and every opportunity that I've had under this current staff I've earned by my performances within training and the opportunities that I've had this past season with Crystal Palace. "I never think to myself, 'Oh, I'm going to come in and I'm going to play, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that.' And I think anybody could attest to the work that I've put in to earn each opportunity that I get. I mean listen, there's lots of good goalkeepers in the pool right now. I think a lot of guys are performing well, especially some of the guys here in MLS, so it's nice to be around them, to train with them, and just keep pushing myself and pushing them to get better and hold the standards true to what we want to build on this national team." Turner, 30, was the Americans' starting goalkeeper at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has been the top choice for the squad since, which included two disappointing performances at the Conacacaf Nations League Finals in March. The U.S. was first stunned by Panama, 1-0, and then by Canada, 2-1. Turner has not played much for club side Crystal Palace, which won the FA Cup last month. His last competitive match for the team was a 3-1 FA Cup win over Millwall on March 1; he didn't play in a league match this season. USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino recently commented on Turner's lack of minutes as a backup, acknowledging that he needs to "find the way to compete every week" before the 2026 World Cup. If not, another goalkeeper could overtake him as the Americans' new No. 1. "It's open in our mind," Pochettino told reporters last month regarding the starting goalkeeper position. "It's open for another player maybe to challenge in between and maybe to try to give the possibility to play another player." Turner has an entire summer to prove himself. Pochettino initially called up Turner, along with Zack Steffen, Matt Freese and Patrick Schulte as part of a 27-player roster for two upcoming friendlies against Turkey (June 7) and Switzerland (June 10). Chris Brady recently replaced Schulte, who left camp with an oblique injury, and the Colorado Rapids announced Wednesday that Steffen suffered a knee injury and has returned to his club for further examination. The USMNT opens Gold Cup group stage competition against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15, followed by Saudi Arabia on June 19 and Haiti on June 22. Turner reflected on the Gold Cup in 2021, when the U.S. beat Mexico in the final to win the tournament. He believes those performances solidified his place on the roster ahead of the 2022 World Cup. "I'm pretty sure that Gold Cup is essentially what launched me to get my move to Arsenal and now fighting my way through Europe and trying to make it work over there right now," Turner said. "Since then, I've been through a lot. I've had two kids, I've moved to three different teams, so I've had a lot of change." Back then, Turner was playing for the New England Revolution and was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021 before moving to Premier League side Arsenal. Since then, his club play has been inconsistent, with just 31 total appearances for the Gunners, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. If he's to get more reps between now and next summer, could Turner potentially return to MLS? He's previously stated that his preference would be to stay in Europe. "I think I'd always be open to coming back home," Turner said. "But I've had a lot of positive talks with a lot of different clubs and think the important thing for me is finding the right situation for me to play in and to maximize what I feel is my potential as well. "It's not as cut and dry anymore in player movement in general. If you look around the European soccer world — especially with a lot of new financial rules and regulations in place — clubs have to do business and get creative with the way they do business in certain situations. So it's not always just, 'I point my finger to this club, this is a good situation, I want to go here, let's make that happen.' [There are] other factors at play. You have to weigh the family side, you have to weigh the personal side, and obviously the playing side and what works from club to club as well." Turner said Wednesday he hopes he'll have news regarding his future this summer. But no matter what happens on that front, he has an opportunity to influence Pochettino's decision-making with quality performances at the Gold Cup. Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman . recommended Get more from United States Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
