FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers are now underway as nations vie for a place at the biggest Soccer World Cup ever. The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest tournaments for members of the Six Nations confederations worldwide. All FIFA-associated teams qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will join hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
In this tournament, 48 teams will compete, with the qualification process starting on 7 September 2023. Below is the list of FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers from UEFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, CAF, and AFC.
The FIFA executive committee allowed the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification process on 9 May 2017 in Zürich. Before the tournament, all 210 remaining FIFA member associations are eligible to enter the qualifying process. Canada, Mexico, and the United States are the host nations, so they will qualify automatically.
- Europe (UEFA): 16 Teams
- North, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF): 6 Teams
- South America (CONMEBOL): 6 Teams (3 host + 3)
- Oceania Football Confederation (OFA): 1 Team
- Confederation of African Football (CAF): 9 Teams
- Asia (AFC): 8 Teams
- Play Off: 2 Teams
- FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualified Teams (Host) – USA, Mexico and Canada
- Total Qualifying Teams: 206 + 3 (host)
- Teams eliminated – 145
- Teams Qualified – 39+3 (Updated: 30 November 2025)
- Dates: from 7 September 2023 to 31 March 2026
Format for the qualification process
Table of Contents
All you need to know about the FIFA World Cup 26 Format for the qualification process. Here is everything you need to know about the qualifying process for the expanded 48-team tournament.
- Each confederation is responsible for its qualification tournament
- League format
- Single round-robin format
- Knockout format
- One of the participating nations or in neutral territory
- Single-leg knockout format
FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers
Confederation qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers below –
- Qualifying campaigns are currently in progress, having commenced in September 2023.
- An expanded 48-nation tournament will be participated in.
AFC (Asia)
The FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the Asian qualifiers feature a multi-round format, starting with lower-ranked teams in the first round and gradually bringing in higher-ranked nations by the second and third rounds.
The top teams from the third round will directly qualify, while others will enter the intercontinental playoffs. Powerhouses like Japan, South Korea, Iran, and Australia remain favourites to secure early qualification.
- Total FIFA World Cup 26 Seats: 8 direct slots (+1 for intercontinental playoffs)
- First round – 20 teams (ranked 27–46) – Round Completed
- Second round – 36 teams (round-robin ) – Round Completed
- Third round – 18 teams (round-robin) – Matchday 6 Round Completed
- Fourth round – 6 teams – from 8 October 2025 to 14 October 2025
- Fifth round – inter-confederation play-offs – from 13 November to 18 November 2025
- Teams started – 46
- Teams eliminated – 37
- Qualified teams – 8 ( Australia, Japan, Iran, Jordan, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Qatar and Saudi Arabia)
- Teams can still qualify – 1
- Next AFC Qualifying Match – 2026 Play-offs
CAF (Africa)
Africa’s World Cup 2026 qualifiers are more intense this time, with a new format involving nine groups, where each group winner directly qualifies for the 2026 World Cup. Additionally, the four best second-placed teams may enter a playoff round to compete for a possible intercontinental spot.
With more direct slots than ever before, traditional giants like Tunisia, Morocco, Nigeria, and Egypt face rising competition from emerging African nations.
- Total FIFA World Cup 26 Seats: 9 direct slots (+1 for intercontinental playoffs)
- First round – 9 groups of 6 teams (round-robin)
- Second round – 4 best-ranked group runners-up (inter-confederation play-offs)
- Teams started – 53
- Teams eliminated – 43
- Qualified teams – 9
- Teams can still qualify – 1
- Next CAF Qualifying Match – 2026 Play-offs
CONCACAF (North, Central America & Caribbean)
The road to World Cup 2026 qualifying groups in CONCACAF began in March 2024 with smaller nations competing in the first two rounds, while Mexico, the USA, and Canada (already qualified as hosts) entered later.
In the second round, 30 teams (excluding the hosts) were drawn into six groups of five teams each.
The top two from each group advanced to the newly formed third (Final) round—a total of 12 teams split into three groups of four, drawn on June 12, 2025. Each group engages in home-and-away matches across the September, October, and November 2025 FIFA windows.
At the end, the three group winners will earn direct qualification, and the two best runners-up will vie for one of the inter-confederation playoff slots in March 2026
- Total FIFA World Cup 26 Seats: 6 direct slots
- Host Teams: 3 (Canada, Mexico, USA (3))
- First round – 4 teams (FIFA ranked 29 to 32)
- Second round – 30 teams (CONCACAF teams ranked 1 to 28)
- Third round – 12 teams (inter-confederation play-offs)
- Teams started – 32 + 3 (Host)
- Teams eliminated -27
- Qualified teams – 3 (Panama, Haiti, Curaçao) + 3 host (Canada, Mexico, USA) = 6
- Teams can still qualify – 2
- Next Qualifying Match – 2026 Play-offs
CONMEBOL (South America)
The FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers in South America are being played in a league format, where all ten nations face each other home and away. With six direct spots and one intercontinental playoff slot available, the battle is fiercer than ever.
Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay have joined the FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule after winning the South American qualification.
- Total FIFA World Cup 26 Seats: 6 direct slots (+1 for intercontinental playoffs)
- Teams started – 10
- Teams eliminated – 3
- Qualified teams: 6 (Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, and Paraguay)
- Teams can still qualify – 1
- Next Qualifying Match – 2026 Play-offs
OFC (Oceania Football Confederation)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign in the Oceania region continues its long-shot journey with a single slot available.
On March 24, 2025, New Zealand defeated New Caledonia 3–0 in the OFC qualification final and clinched the single direct slot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from Oceania. They’ll be making their return to the tournament for only the third time in history, having previously participated in 1982 and 2010.
- Total FIFA World Cup 26 Seats: 1 direct slot (+1 for intercontinental playoffs)
- Qualified teams: 1
- First round: 4 OFC teams (FIFA Ranking(4 lowest FIFA-ranked teams and play round-robin))
- Second round: 7 highest-ranked teams
- Third round: The 4 OFC teams ( inter-confederation play-offs)
- Teams started – 11
- Teams eliminated – 9
- Qualified teams – 1 (New Zealand)
- Teams can still qualify – 1
- Next Qualifying Match – 1 team (Play-offs – March 2026)
UEFA (Union of European Football Associations
UEFA’s World Cup Qualifiers 2026 began in March 2025, following the traditional group stage format, with top teams earning direct qualification and others advancing through the Nations League playoff path.
With 16 spots available for Europe, the battle among elite football nations like France, Germany, England, Portugal and Spain promises high-stakes action.
- Total FIFA World Cup 26 Seats: 16 direct slots
- First round: 12 groups of 4 or 5 teams
- Second round: The 16th-place runner-up (National League overall ranking)
- Teams started – 54
- Teams eliminated – 26
- Qualified teams: 12
- Teams can still qualify – 4
- Last Qualifying Match – 31 March 2026
Inter-confederation play-offs
- Six nations will compete in a mini-tournament
- Qualifying Match – March 2026
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualified Teams
“Below is the latest group-wise breakdown of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers across all confederations.”
| S No | Teams | Previous Best | Qualified As |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | Group stage (1986, 2022) | Host |
| 2 | Canada | Quarter-finals (1970, 1986) | Host |
| 3 | Mexico | Third place (1930) | Host |
| 4 | Japan | Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022) | AFC 3rd round – Group C winners |
| 5 | New Zealand | Group stage (1982, 2010) | OFC 3rd round winners |
| 6 | Iran | Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022) | AFC 3rd round – Group A winners |
| 7 | Argentina | Winners (1978, 1986, 2022) | CONMEBOL top six |
| 8 | Jordan | Debut | AFC 3rd round – Group A runners-up |
| 9 | Uzbekistan | Debut | AFC 3rd round– Group A runners-up |
| 10 | South Korea | Fourth place (2002) | AFC 3rd round– Group B winners |
| 11 | Australia | Round of 16 (2006, 2022) | AFC 3rd round– Group C runners-up |
| 12 | Brazil | Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) | CONMEBOL top six |
| 13 | Ecuador | Round of 16 (2006) | CONMEBOL top six |
| 14 | Uruguay | Winners (1930, 1950) | CONMEBOL top six |
| 15 | Colombia | Quarter-finals (2014) | CONMEBOL top six |
| 16 | Paraguay | Quarter-finals (2010) | CONMEBOL top six |
| 17 | Morocco | Fourth place (2022) | CAF – Group E winner |
| 18 | Tunisia | Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022) | CAF – Group H winner |
| 19 | Egypt | First round (1934, 1990, 2018) | CAF – Group A winner |
| 20 | Algeria | Round of 16 (2014) | CAF – Group G winner |
| 21 | Ghana | Quarter-finals (2010) | CAF – Group I winner |
| 22 | Cape Verde | Debut | CAF – Group D winner |
| 23 | South Africa | Group stage (1998, 2002, 2010) | CAF – Group C winner |
| 24 | Qatar | Group stage (2022) | AFC 4th round – Group A winner |
| 25 | England | Champion (1966) | UEFA – Group K winner |
| 26 | Saudi Arabia | Round of 16 (1994) | AFC 4th round – Group B winner |
| 27 | Ivory Coast | Group stage (2006, 2010, 2014) | CAF – Group F winner |
| 28 | Senegal | Quarter-finals (2002) | CAF – Group B winner |
| 29 | France | Champion (1998, 2018) | UEFA – Group D winner |
| 30 | Croatia | Runners-up (2018) | UEFA – Group L winner |
| 31 | Portugal | Third place (1966) | UEFA – Group F winner |
| 32 | Norway | Round of 16 (1998) | UEFA – Group I winner |
| 33 | Germany | Champion (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) | UEFA – Group A winner |
| 34 | Netherlands | Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010) | UEFA – Group G winner |
| 35 | Belgium | Third place (2018) | UEFA – Group J winner |
| 36 | Austria | Third place (1954) | UEFA – Group H winner |
| 37 | Switzerland | Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954) | UEFA – Group B winner |
| 38 | Spain | Champion (2010) | UEFA – Group E winner |
| 39 | Scotland | Group stage (1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998) | UEFA – Group C winner |
| 40 | Panama | Group stage (2018) | CONCACAF – – Group A winner |
| 41 | Haiti | Group stage (1974) | CONCACAF – – Group C winner |
| 42 | Curaçao | Debut | CONCACAF – – Group B winner |
Starting on 7 September 2023, 206 teams from six confederations participated in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. After 883 matches, 42 teams successfully secured their spots in the final round.
Top goalscorers
16 goals
- Erling Haaland – Norway
12 goals
- Almoez Ali – Qatar
10 goals
- Mehdi Taremi – Iran
- Son Heung-min – South Korea
- Mohamed Amoura – Algeria
9 goals
- Mohamed Salah – Egypt
- Ali Olwan – Jordan
- Chris Wood – New Zealand
8 goals
- Lionel Messi – Argentina
- Denis Bouanga – Gabon
- Sardar Azmoun– Iran
- Aymen Hussein – Iraq
- Ayase Ueda – Japan
- Yazan Al-Naimat – Jordan
- Kamory Doumbia – Mali
- Fábio Lima – United Arab Emirates
- Marko Arnautović – Austria
- Harry Kane – England
- Memphis Depay – Netherlands
- Victor Osimhen – Nigeria
How many UEFA teams qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
A total of 16 UEFA teams will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will secure their spots through the European qualifiers.
How do UEFA teams qualify?
The 12 group winners from the UEFA European Qualifiers earn automatic spots. The remaining 4 berths are decided through UEFA-only playoffs, including the 12 group runners‑up plus 4 best-ranked Nations League group winners who didn’t finish top two in their qualifying group.
When and how are the UEFA playoffs held?
The UEFA playoffs take place in March 2026 (26 & 31 March). Sixteen teams are split into four paths, each playing one-legged semifinals and finals to determine the final four World Cup spots.
Are UEFA teams eligible for intercontinental playoffs?
No — UEFA has no inter‑confederation playoff spots. All 16 European slots are decided within UEFA’s own qualifying and playoff system.
Awesome Performance of AFC and CONMEBOL Teams