The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been long and challenging, with over 132 nations now officially eliminated from the race to secure one of the 48 coveted spots in the tournament. Eliminated Teams from the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification have already started to shape the journey toward the final tournament.
As the qualifiers progress, many nations have seen their hopes end early, highlighting the intensity and competitiveness of the campaign. Each elimination not only narrows the path to the World Cup but also emphasizes how tough it is to secure a place among the world’s best.
As we move through the final phases of World Cup qualification across all six confederations, the dreams of many traditional football powerhouses and emerging nations have come to an end.
With the expanded format offering more opportunities than ever before, the elimination of certain teams carries extra significance.
This comprehensive breakdown examines which nations have been knocked out of contention and the circumstances that led to their early exits from the qualification process.
List of Eliminated Teams from FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification
Table of Contents
The Scale of Elimination
The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign began with over 209 nations dreaming of reaching North America. However, the harsh reality of international football means that more than 132 countries have now seen their World Cup hopes dashed for another four-year cycle.
From former World Cup winners to nations making their debut attempts, the list of eliminated teams spans every level of international football.
Some eliminations came through mathematical impossibility, while others resulted from decisive defeats in crucial matches or administrative withdrawals.
What teams did not qualify for the World Cup 2026
| Confederation | Total slots | Teams started | Teams eliminated | Teams can still qualify | Teams qualified | Last Qualifying date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 8 | 46 | 36 | 2 | 8 | 18 November 2025 |
| CAF | 9 | 53 | 42 | 2 | 2 | November 2025 |
| CONCACAF | 3+3 (hosts) | 32+3 (hosts) | 25 | 7 | 0+3 | 18 November 2025 |
| CONMEBOL | 6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 9 September 2025 |
| OFC | 1 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 24 March 2025 |
| UEFA | 16 | 54 | 17 | 35 | 2 | 31 March 2026 |
| Play-offs | 2 | (6) | 0 | (6) | 0 | March 2026 |
| Total | 45+3 (hosts) | 206+3 (hosts) | 132 | 48 | 26+3 | 31 March 2026 |
South American Heartbreak
In CONMEBOL, three nations have been eliminated despite the confederation’s generous allocation of six direct qualification spots plus one playoff berth.
The most shocking elimination belongs to Chile, the two-time Copa América champion who managed just 11 points from 18 matches. Peru, historically a strong South American side, accumulated only 12 points and will miss their second consecutive World Cup.
Venezuela, despite recent improvements, finished with 18 points but could not overcome the competitive nature of South American qualifying.
CONMEBOL – Eliminated Teams List
2026 FIFA World Cup South America Qualification
| S No. | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chile | 11 points – Eliminated |
| 2 | Peru | 12 points – Eliminated |
| 3 | Venezuela | 18 points – Eliminated |
African Heartbreak
2026 FIFA World Cup Africa Qualification
The CAF qualification process has been particularly brutal, with 34 nations eliminated across the nine groups. Notable casualties include traditional African powers like Kenya and Zimbabwe, both failing to advance from their respective groups. The withdrawal of Eritrea due to fears of players seeking political asylum while travelling abroad represents one of the most unusual eliminations in World Cup history.
Several small island nations like Seychelles and São Tomé and Príncipe faced insurmountable challenges, managing minimal points throughout their campaigns. Even nations with recent continental success, such as Gambia and Burundi, could not secure the necessary results to continue their World Cup dreams.
African Eliminated Teams List (42 Teams)
| S No. | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ethiopia | Group A Eliminated |
| 2 | Djibouti | Group A Eliminated |
| 3 | Togo | Group B Eliminated |
| 4 | Mauritania | Group B Eliminated |
| 5 | South Sudan | Group B Eliminated |
| 6 | Lesotho | Group C Eliminated |
| 7 | Zimbabwe | Group C Eliminated |
| 8 | Mauritius | Group D Eliminated |
| 9 | Eswatini | Group D Eliminated |
| 10 | Congo | Group E Eliminated |
| 11 | Eritrea (Withdrew) | Group E Eliminated |
| 12 | Gambia | Group F Eliminated |
| 13 | Burundi | Group F Eliminated |
| 14 | Kenya | Group F Eliminated |
| 15 | Seychelles | Group F Eliminated |
| 16 | Somalia | Group G Eliminated |
| 17 | São Tomé and Príncipe | Group H Eliminated |
| 18 | Central African Republic | Group I Eliminated |
| 19 | Chad | Group I Eliminated |
| 20 | Sierra Leone | Group A Eliminated |
| 21 | Guinea-Bissau | Group A Eliminated |
| 22 | Rwanda | Group C Eliminated |
| 23 | Libya | Group D Eliminated |
| 24 | Angola | Group D Eliminated |
| 25 | Tanzania | Group E Eliminated |
| 26 | Zambia | Group E Eliminated |
| 27 | Mozambique | Group G Eliminated |
| 28 | Guinea | Group G Eliminated |
| 29 | Botswana | Group G Eliminated |
| 30 | Liberia | Group H Eliminated |
| 31 | Malawi | Group H Eliminated |
| 32 | Equatorial Guinea | Group H Eliminated |
| 33 | Mali | Group I Eliminated |
| 34 | Comoros | Group I Eliminated |
| 35 | Benin | Group C Eliminated |
| 36 | Burkina Faso | Group A Eliminated |
| 37 | Niger | Group E Eliminated |
| 38 | Madagascar | Group I Eliminated |
| 39 | Uganda | Group G Eliminated |
| 40 | Namibia | Group H Eliminated |
| 41 | Gabon | Group F Eliminated |
| 42 | Cameroon | Group D Eliminated |
Asian Football’s Long Journey
2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualification
Asia’s qualification process eliminated 18 nations through multiple rounds, starting from the preliminary phases. Traditional Asian nations like Thailand and Syria fell short despite strong domestic leagues and recent continental success.
The elimination of Lebanon, Palestine, and Hong Kong highlights the competitive depth of Asian qualifying.
Pakistan’s campaign was particularly difficult, managing just one victory in their entire qualifying run. Myanmar, Singapore, and Afghanistan also struggled to compete with the continent’s established powers, highlighting the gap between Asia’s elite and developing football nations.
Asian Eliminated Teams (36 Teams)
| S No. | Team | Elimination Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhutan | First Round |
| 2 | Brunei | First Round |
| 3 | Cambodia | First Round |
| 4 | Guam | First Round |
| 5 | Laos | First Round |
| 6 | Macao | First Round |
| 7 | Maldives | First Round |
| 8 | Mongolia | First Round |
| 9 | Pakistan | First Round |
| 10 | Timor-Leste | First Round |
| 11 | Afghanistan | Second Round |
| 12 | Bangladesh | Second Round |
| 13 | Chinese Taipei | Second Round |
| 14 | Hong Kong | Second Round |
| 15 | India | Second Round |
| 16 | Indonesia | Second Round |
| 17 | Malaysia | Second Round |
| 18 | Myanmar | Second Round |
| 19 | Nepal | Second Round |
| 20 | Philippines | Second Round |
| 21 | Singapore | Second Round |
| 22 | Sri Lanka | Second Round |
| 23 | Syria | Second Round |
| 24 | Thailand | Second Round |
| 25 | Turkmenistan | Second Round |
| 26 | Vietnam | Second Round |
| 27 | China | Third Round |
| 28 | Kuwait | Third Round |
| 29 | North Korea | Third Round |
| 30 | Kyrgyzstan | Third Round |
| 31 | Palestine | Third Round |
| 32 | Bahrain | Third Round |
| 33 | Yemen | Third Round |
| 34 | Uzbekistan | Third Round |
| 35 | Indonesia | Fourth round |
| 36 | Oman | Fourth round |
CONCACAF Surprises
2026 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF Qualification
Even with the hosts, the United States, Mexico, and Canada automatically qualified, CONCACAF has seen six eliminations.
Trinidad and Tobago’s failure to reach the final round represents the biggest shock, given their 2018 World Cup qualifying heroics. Traditional Caribbean powers like Bermuda and Barbados also fell short in the competitive qualifying rounds.
CONCACAF Eliminated Teams (25 Teams)
| S No. | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anguilla | Eliminated |
| 2 | Antigua & Barbuda | Eliminated |
| 3 | Aruba | Eliminated |
| 4 | Bahamas | Eliminated |
| 5 | Barbados | Eliminated |
| 6 | Belize | Eliminated |
| 7 | Bermuda | Eliminated |
| 8 | British Virgin Islands | Eliminated |
| 9 | Cayman Islands | Eliminated |
| 10 | Dominica | Eliminated |
| 11 | Dominican Republic | Eliminated |
| 12 | French Guiana | Eliminated |
| 13 | Grenada | Eliminated |
| 14 | Guadeloupe | Eliminated |
| 15 | Guyana | Eliminated |
| 16 | Montserrat | Eliminated |
| 17 | Puerto Rico | Eliminated |
| 18 | Saint Kitts & Nevis | Eliminated |
| 19 | Saint Lucia | Eliminated |
| 20 | Saint Vincent & Grenadines | Eliminated |
| 21 | Guatemala | Eliminated |
| 22 | El Salvador | Eliminated |
| 23 | Trinidad and Tobago | Eliminated |
| 24 | Costa Rica | Eliminated |
| 25 | Nicaragua | Eliminated |
European Mathematical Certainties
2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualification
UEFA’s qualification process is still ongoing, but four nations have been mathematically eliminated. Moldova’s winless campaign left them at the bottom of their group with zero points.
Andorra, Estonia, and Latvia face similar scenarios, unable to overcome stronger European opposition despite the expanded World Cup format offering more opportunities.
European Eliminated Teams (17 Teams)
| S No. | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luxembourg | Group A |
| 2 | Greece | Group C |
| 3 | Belarus | Group C |
| 4 | Azerbaijan | Group D |
| 5 | Bulgaria | Group E |
| 6 | Armenia | Group F |
| 7 | Lithuania | Group G |
| 8 | Malta | Group G |
| 9 | Cyprus | Group H |
| 10 | Israel | Group I |
| 11 | Estonia | Group I |
| 12 | Kazakhstan | Group J |
| 13 | Liechtenstein | Group J |
| 14 | Latvia | Group K |
| 15 | Andorra | Group K |
| 16 | Montenegro | Group L |
| 17 | Gibraltar | Group L |
Oceanic Early Exits
2026 FIFA World Cup OFC Qualification
The OFC region saw eight nations eliminated in the early rounds, with only New Zealand successfully navigating through to secure qualification.
American Samoa, the Cook Islands, and Tonga were among the first casualties, unable to compete with the confederation’s stronger nations.
Oceania Eliminated Teams (9 Teams)
| S No. | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Samoa | Eliminated (First Round) |
| 2 | Cook Islands | Eliminated (First Round) |
| 3 | Tonga | Eliminated (First Round) |
| 4 | Samoa | Eliminated (First Round) |
| 5 | Fiji | Eliminated (Second Round) |
| 6 | Papua New Guinea | Eliminated (Second Round) |
| 7 | Vanuatu | Eliminated (Second Round) |
| 8 | Tahiti | Eliminated (Second Round) |
| 9 | Solomon Islands | Eliminated (Second Round) |
Looking Forward
While these 132 eliminated nations will not participate in the 2026 World Cup, their elimination serves as motivation for future qualifying campaigns.
The expanded 48-team format provides hope that more nations will have opportunities in the 2030 cycle. A total of 48 national teams are still competing for a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
These eliminations emphasize the need for ongoing investment in youth programs, infrastructure, and coaching education to close the gap between football’s top-tier nations and those still developing in the sport.
