2026 World Cup: Who has qualified, and how the rest can make it
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, 39 of the 48 participating teams have secured qualification, joining hosts United States, Mexico, and Canada. The remaining nine slots will be decided through UEFA playoffs in March 2026 and interconfederation playoffs across North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Notable qualifiers include defending champions Argentina, European heavyweights England, France, Germany, and emerging contenders such as Curaçao and New Zealand.
Europe (UEFA)
Twelve European nations have qualified directly, while four more spots will be contested in March’s playoffs. Group-stage winners earning automatic qualification are England, France, Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, and Belgium.
The UEFA playoff involves 16 teams: 12 group runners-up and four top Nations League group winners who did not finish in the top two of their qualifying groups. Each of the four paths features a one-legged semifinal and final to determine the remaining four World Cup spots. Semifinals are scheduled for March 26, with finals on March 31:
Path A: Italy vs. Northern Ireland; Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path B: Ukraine vs. Sweden; Poland vs. Albania
Path C: Turkey vs. Romania; Slovakia vs. Kosovo
Path D: Denmark vs. North Macedonia; Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland
Key narratives include Italy’s return to the playoff stage after missing the last two World Cups, Scotland qualifying for their first tournament since 1998, and Norway booking a finals berth thanks to a decisive Erling Haaland performance against Italy.
North, Central America and Caribbean (Concacaf)
With the U.S., Mexico, and Canada already assured as hosts, the remaining three automatic slots went to Panama, Curaçao, and Haiti following the completion of the regional qualifying group stage in November. Curaçao became the smallest nation in history to reach the World Cup, while Suriname and Honduras advance to the interconfederation playoff stage.
Africa (CAF)
Nine African teams have claimed direct qualification: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia. DR Congo will enter the interconfederation playoff following a dramatic mini-tournament, prevailing over Nigeria, Gabon, and Cameroon on penalties.
Asia (AFC)
Eight Asian teams have qualified directly: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. Iraq advanced to the interconfederation playoff with a narrow aggregate victory over UAE. Japan was the first nation to secure qualification on March 20, 2025.
South America (CONMEBOL)
All six automatic slots were filled by Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay after the full home-and-away league concluded in September 2025. Bolivia will enter the interconfederation playoff.
Oceania (OFC)
New Zealand secured the region’s sole automatic berth with a 3-0 victory over New Caledonia, who now progress to the interconfederation playoff.
Interconfederation Playoffs (March 2026)
Six nations will compete for the final two World Cup places in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico. The participants are DR Congo (CAF), Iraq (AFC), Jamaica and Suriname (Concacaf), New Caledonia (OFC), and Bolivia (CONMEBOL). The format pairs four semifinalists with two seeded teams (DR Congo and Iraq) waiting in the finals:
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New Caledonia vs. Jamaica → Winner vs. DR Congo
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Bolivia vs. Suriname → Winner vs. Iraq
These fixtures will finalize the 48-team field for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With most confederations having concluded their qualification campaigns, the upcoming UEFA and intercontinental playoffs represent the final hurdles for teams chasing World Cup glory. Italy, Scotland, and DR Congo among others face high-stakes matches that could redefine their footballing trajectories and national ambitions. The tournament, expanding to 48 teams, promises a diverse and competitive field when it kicks off across the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 2026.