GOAL breaks down all the confirmed qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, plus the teams who could soon be on their way.

The 2026 World Cup will feature a total of 48 teams for the first time in history, with FIFA opting to expand the 32-team tournament format that has been in place since the 1998 edition. That means more international teams than ever will converge upon the United States, Canada and Mexico for what promises to be a historic occasion.

UEFA is guaranteed 16 slots at the tournament, while CAF gets nine and AFC gets eight. There will be a minimum of six each from CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, while OFC has one guaranteed slot for the first time. The remaining two places will be decided through the intercontinental playoffs.

Here, GOAL brings you all the teams that have qualified for World Cup 2026:

  • Which teams have qualified for World Cup 2026?

    Team Federation Qualified on
    Canada CONCACAF Hosts
    Mexico CONCACAF Hosts
    United States CONCACAF Hosts
    Japan AFC March 20, 2025
    New Zealand OFC March 24, 2025
    Iran AFC March 25, 2025
    Argentina CONMEBOL March 25, 2025
    Uzbekistan AFC June 5, 2025
    South Korea AFC June 5, 2025
    Jordan AFC June 5, 2025
    Australia AFC June 10, 2025
    Brazil CONMEBOL June 10, 2025
    Ecuador CONMEBOL June 10, 2025
    Uruguay CONMEBOL September 4, 2025
    Paraguay CONMEBOL September 4, 2025
    Colombia CONMEBOL September 4, 2025
    Morocco CAF September 5, 2025
    Tunisia CAF September 8, 2025
    Egypt CAF October 8, 2025
    Algeria CAF October 9, 2025
    Ghana CAF October 12, 2025
    Cape Verde CAF October 13, 2025
    South Africa CAF October 14, 2025
    Qatar AFC October 14, 2025
    England UEFA October 14, 2025
    Saudi Arabia AFC October 14, 2025
    Senegal CAF October 14, 2025
    Cote d'Ivoire CAF October 14, 2025
    France UEFA November 13, 2025
    Croatia UEFA November 14, 2025
    Portugal UEFA November 16, 2025
    Norway UEFA November 16, 2025
    Germany UEFA November 17, 2025
    Netherlands UEFA November 17, 2025
    Austria UEFA November 18. 2025
    Belgium UEFA November 18, 2025
    Scotland UEFA November 18, 2025
    Spain UEFA November 18, 2025
    Switzerland UEFA November 18, 2025
    Curacao CONCACAF November 18, 2025
    Haiti CONCACAF November 18, 2025
    Panama CONCACAF November 18, 2025

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  • Who could qualify next?

    Here is a picture of the various regional qualification campaigns and the teams that are close to securing qualification:

    AFC

    The last two automatic spots from Asian qualifying were filled in October, with Iraq then beating the UAE in November to secure a place in the inter-confederation play-offs.

    See the full AFC World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

    CAF

    Qualifying in Africa lasted almost two years, with the last of the nine automatic qualifiers confirmed in October. DR Congo then saw off both Cameroon and Nigeria in the CAF play-offs to secure themselves a place in the inter-confederation play-offs.

    See the full CAF World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

    CONCACAF

    With the United States, Canada and Mexico qualifying automatically as hosts, the CONCACAF qualification stage has a different complexion with a number of less-established sides in the battle for qualification. With the three automatic qualifiers resolved in November, Jamaica and Suriname progressed to the inter-confederation play-offs.

    CONMEBOL

    Qualifying in South America concluded in September as the last of the continent's six automatic qualifiers were confirmed. Seventh-placed Bolivia have earned a spot in March's inter-confederation play-offs as they aim to secure their first World Cup appearance since 1994.

    See the full CONEMBOL World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

    OFC

    With New Zealand having secured automatic qualification back in March, New Caledonia advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.

    See the full OFC World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

    UEFA

    UEFA qualifying got under way in March, though some teams didn't kick-off their campaigns until September due to the Nations League. All of the automatic spots are now gone, with play-offs to decide the final four selections among the 16 teams who have entered them. Among the teams still aiming to book their spot are four-time winners Italy, as well as Denmark, Turkey, Sweden, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

    See the full UEFA World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

  • Imagn

    Haiti

    Qualified on: November 18, 2025
    Qualified as: CONCACAF Group C winners
    Last tournament: 1974

    Haiti ended a 51-year wait to qualify for their second World Cup appearance in stunning fashion as they beat Honduras and Costa Rica to top spot in CONCACAF Group C. Star striker Duckens Nazon powered Les Grenadiers’ run, and if not for Curacao’s own remarkable qualification, Haiti would be the unquestioned story of the region.

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    Curacao

    Qualified on: November 18, 2025
    Qualified as: CONCACAF Group B winners
    Last tournament: Debut

    Curacao, with its population of just 156,115, became the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup after securing a draw with Jamaica on the final matchday to win Group B in CONCACAF. This will mark the country’s first appearance at the tournament, with the team led by former Manchester United youth product Tahith Chong.

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