2026 World Cup Qualifiers: All the confirmed and upcoming teams

Find out all the details about the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and which teams could soon secure their spot in the historic 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The 2026 World Cup will feature a total of 48 teams for the first time in history, as FIFA has opted to expand the 32-team format that has been in place since the 1998 edition. This means more international teams than ever before will be in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for what promises to be a historic occasion. The list of 2026 World Cup qualifiers will be the largest to date.

UEFA has 16 guaranteed spots in the tournament, while CAF has nine and AFC has eight. There will be a minimum of six spots for CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, while OFC has a guaranteed spot for the first time. The remaining two spots will be decided through the intercontinental playoffs.

Who could be the next to qualify?

This is an overview of the various regional qualifying campaigns and the teams that are close to securing their qualification to be part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers:

AFC
Asian qualifying moves into its fourth and final round, with six teams—Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Oman, and Qatar—competing for the final two qualifying spots. Matches begin in October.

CAF
Although African qualification began in November 2023, only six of the 10 group stage rounds have been played, meaning the first confirmed participants for the region's tournament will begin to emerge in September. Morocco, a semifinalist in 2022, can book its place for 2026 on Friday if results favor it, while Egypt, South Africa, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Algeria could all qualify during the next international window. Things aren't looking so good for Nigeria, however, after the Super Eagles won just one of their first six matches.

CONCACAF
With the United States, Canada, and Mexico automatically qualified as hosts, CONCACAF qualifying has a different setup. The June window closed out the second round before the decisive third round begins in September, with teams such as Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Honduras expected to fight for a spot in the tournament and join the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

CONMEBOL
South American qualifying concludes in September, with three spots still up for grabs. Uruguay and Paraguay need just one point from their final two matches to secure their place, while Colombia knows that a win over Bolivia on Thursday will be enough to secure their spot. The seventh-place team, meanwhile, will advance to the interconfederation play-offs.

OFC
With New Zealand having secured automatic qualification, New Caledonia advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs, which will be decided in March 2026.

UEFA
UEFA qualifying only began in March, although some teams won't start their campaigns until September due to the Nations League. Therefore, no matches are expected. 2026 World Cup qualifiers Europeans until October at the earliest.

List of teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup

Ecuador

• Classified on: June 10th, 2025
• Classified as: CONMEBOL Top Six
• Last tournament: 2022

Ecuador had to wait until 2002 for their World Cup debut, but 2026 will mark their fifth appearance in the finals following a qualifying campaign in which they overcame a three-point deduction to secure a top-six place in the CONMEBOL table and join the likes of 2026 World Cup qualifiersMoisés Caicedo is the star of an improving team, and there are high hopes that they will reach the round of 16 for the second time in their history.

Brazil

• Classified on: June 10th, 2025
• Classified as: CONMEBOL Top Six
• Last tournament: 2022

Brazil has maintained its perfect qualification record, securing its 23rd consecutive appearance at the world's biggest sporting event. Despite its success in reaching the tournament, the Seleção has not won since 2002, a long drought for the five-time champions, who remain the most successful nation since the World Cup began in 1930.

Australia

• Classified on: June 10th, 2025
• Classified as: Second place in Group C of the AFC third round
• Last tournament: 2022

Australia will be participating in its sixth consecutive World Cup after snatching the last automatic qualification spot in AFC Group C from Saudi Arabia. The Socceroos boast a fairly experienced squad, but they have some emerging talents who could be ready for 2026.

Jordan

• Classified on: June 5th, 2025
• Classified as: Second place in Group B of the AFC third round
• Last tournament: Debut

Jordan has qualified for its first World Cup after beating Iraq in June 2025 to secure one of the top two spots in Group B of the third round of AFC qualifying, being one of the surprises among the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

South Korea

• Classified on: June 5th, 2025
• Classified as: Winner of Group B of the third round of the AFC
• Last tournament: 2022

South Korea has qualified for its 11th consecutive World Cup and is looking to improve on its performance from the last tournament, where it lost to Brazil in the round of XNUMX. With stars such as Tottenham's Son Heung-min, Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan, Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae, and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in, South Korea is hoping to go further in the tournament.

Uzbekistan

• Classified on: June 5th, 2025
• Classified as: Second place in Group A of the AFC third round
• Last tournament: Debut

Uzbekistan has qualified for its first World Cup, after finishing in the top two of Group A in the AFC third qualifying round. Following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Uzbekistan national team did not participate in a World Cup qualifying campaign until 1997. Now, they are heading to the 2026 World Cup. This is a milestone for the new 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Argentina

• Classified on: March 25th 2025
• Classified as: Winner of CONMEBOL
• Last tournament: 2022

It was never really in doubt, but Argentina will be able to officially defend their crown in 2026 after securing their place in CONMEBOL qualifying. La Albiceleste will be seeking their fourth title and could become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy in what will surely be Lionel Messi's last World Cup.

Iran

• Classified on: March 25th 2025
• Classified as: Winner of Group A of the third round of the AFC
• Last tournament: 2022

Iran has sealed its place in a fourth consecutive World Cup, aiming to advance past the group stage for the first time in its history. Mehdi Taremi, at 32, continues to score goals and will once again lead Team Melli in North America.

New Zealand

• Classified on: March 24th 2025
• Classified as: OFC Ranking Winner
• Last tournament: 2010

The All Whites will be heading to the World Cup for the third time in their history after securing qualification from the OFC section. New Zealand previously competed at the 1982 and 2010 World Cups, so the current generation of players, led by Nottingham Forest's star goalscorer Chris Wood, will be eager to make their mark after a 16-year absence and return to the squad. 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Japan

• Classified on: March 20th 2025
• Classified as: Winner of Group C of the third round of the AFC
• Last tournament: 2022

Japan has qualified for its seventh consecutive World Cup, having secured its place by finishing top of its group in the AFC third qualifying round. With players like Takefusa Kubo, Wataru Endo, Kaoru Mitoma, and Ritsu Doan in their ranks, the Blue Samurai hope to advance past the round of 16 for the first time.

In Canada

• Classified on: February 14th 2023
• Classified as: Host
• Last tournament: 2022

Canada will be participating in the Men's World Cup for the third time in its history, thanks to its co-host status. The 2026 edition will be its second consecutive tournament, having competed in Qatar 2022. With players like Alphonso Davies, Stephen Eustaquio, and Jonathan David, Canada will be eager to make history on home soil by advancing past the group stage.

Mexico

• Classified on: February 14th 2023
• Classified as: Host
• Last tournament: 2022

The 2026 edition will be Mexico's third time as host country, having previously hosted the iconic tournaments in 1970 and 1986. El Tri is very accustomed to the World Cup stage and this will be their 18th appearance. However, they have never advanced past the quarterfinals and will aim to cause an upset with a real charge towards glory, being one of the first 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

United States

• Classified on: February 14th 2023
• Classified as: Host
• Last tournament: 2022

Like Canada and Mexico, the United States automatically qualifies for the 2026 World Cup as co-hosts. This will be the USMNT's 12th appearance at this stage, and fans will be hoping they can go further in the knockout stage this time around. With stars like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams, Mauricio Pochettino's side will be quietly confident in their ability to compete with the world's best teams despite some recent tournament disappointments. The goal is clear to all. 2026 World Cup qualifiers: to get as far as possible.

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