With just under a year to go until the largest-ever FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the qualification picture for the expanded 48-team tournament is steadily becoming clearer.
While several football powerhouses have already secured their tickets, others remain locked in high-stakes regional battles for a place on the sport’s grandest stage.
Here’s a full breakdown of which countries are in and which are still in the hunt across each confederation:
FIFA World Cup 2026: Who Has Qualified So Far
A total of 13 nations have already booked their places at the 2026 World Cup – including the three co-hosts. Here’s a look by region:
Co-hosts (CONCACAF):
Canada (2 appearances)
Mexico (17 appearances)
United States (11 appearances)
Asia (AFC):
Australia (6 appearances)
Iran (6 appearances)
Japan (7 appearances)
Jordan (World Cup debut)
South Korea (11 appearances)
Uzbekistan (World Cup debut)
South America (CONMEBOL):
Argentina (18 appearances)
Brazil (22 appearances)
Ecuador (4 appearances)
Oceania (OFC):
New Zealand (2 appearances)
Teams on the Verge for FIFA World Cup 2026: Who Can Still Make It
With 35 direct qualification spots still up for grabs, and 2 more to be decided via intercontinental playoffs, here’s how things stand across the confederations:
Asia (AFC) – 8 Direct Spots, 1 Playoff
Six of eight direct spots have been taken. The final stage will resume in September as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia compete for the last two automatic berths.
Intercontinental Playoff Hopefuls: One team from the AFC will also make the six-nation playoff – determined through Round 5 after Round 4 group runners-up face off.
Africa (CAF) – 9 Direct Spots, 1 Playoff
No African team has officially qualified yet. The next round of qualifiers kicks off in September.
Leading Group Leaders: Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa are currently in strong positions.
Playoff Watch: The four best second-placed teams will compete for a playoff berth. However, Group E’s reduced size due to Congo and Eritrea’s disqualification could complicate second-place qualifications.
North, Central America & Caribbean (CONCACAF) – 6 Direct, 2 Playoff
Three spots already go to the co-hosts. The remaining teams are battling in the second round of qualifying, with the top sides from each group moving to the third round.
Teams in the Mix: Jamaica, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, and Trinidad & Tobago are among those vying for the remaining three automatic spots.
Playoff Watch: Two additional teams will advance to the intercontinental playoff.
Europe (UEFA) – 12 Direct Spots, 4 UEFA-Only Playoff
No European team has qualified yet. UEFA qualifying is still in early stages, with Nations League participants like France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal beginning their campaigns in September.
Format: 12 group winners will qualify directly; 16 teams (12 runners-up + 4 top-ranked Nations League teams) will enter a playoff in March 2026 for the final four European slots.
Note: UEFA teams do not participate in the intercontinental playoff.
South America (CONMEBOL) – 6 Direct, 1 Playoff
Three teams – Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador – are already in. Four teams are competing for the final three direct spots and one playoff place.
In the Running: Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, and Paraguay.
Eliminated: Chile is out; Bolivia and Peru are still alive, but with slim hopes.
Oceania (OFC) – 1 Direct, 1 Playoff
Qualified: New Zealand clinched the lone direct spot.
Playoff Bound: New Caledonia will represent the region in the intercontinental playoff.
The Intercontinental Playoff Picture
Six teams will compete in March 2026 for the final two World Cup spots. The highest-ranked two will get byes to the playoff finals.
Playoff Entrants:
- 1 from Africa (CAF)
- 1 from Asia (AFC)
- 1 from South America (CONMEBOL)
- 2 from CONCACAF
- 1 from Oceania (New Caledonia)
With qualification action set to resume in September across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, the next few months will be crucial. As the list of qualified nations grows, so too does the excitement for what promises to be the most global, inclusive, and unpredictable FIFA World Cup yet.
Stay tuned as the road to 2026 heats up.