The identities of 18 of the 48 teams that will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup are now known. While 13 of them had already secured their tickets to the United States before this September’s international matches, five took the opportunity to confirm theirs.
Morocco and Tunisia, leading their respective groups E and H with 21 and 22 points, have officially become the first two representatives of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to qualify for the World Cup. Meanwhile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Colombia secured the last three places allocated to CONMEBOL, joining Argentina, Ecuador and Brazil, who qualified earlier this year.
All 18 teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup
- Canada (Host)
- United States (Host)
- Mexico (Host)
- Japan
- New Zeland
- Iran
- Argentina
- Uzbekistan
- South Korea
- Jordan
- Australia
- Brazil
- Ecuador
- Uruguay
- Colombia
- Paraguay
- Morocco
- Tunisia
Which teams are closest to qualifying?
While some teams already know they will not be travelling to America next June, others can seriously consider taking part.
Starting with Egypt, which, with two games remaining in the African qualifiers, are five points ahead of Burkina Faso, their closest rivals. Algeria, for their part, should also secure their place in the competition. A victory against Somalia or Uganda would seal their first place in Group G. The same goes for Cape Verde, who recently defeated Cameroon, for whom a win against Libya or Eswatini would mean qualification for the World Cup.
In Europe, where the qualifiers started later, only two nations are virtually assured of finishing top of their qualifying groups. Norway, which are six points ahead of their Italian rivals (having played one game more), could secure their qualification as early as October. The same goes for England, who have won their first five games in Group K, where they are the clear favourites.
CONCACAF, the last confederation with places still up for grabs, currently has 12 teams vying for the three remaining spots. After two matchdays, Suriname, Jamaica and Honduras sit atop Groups A, B and C, but all three are closely followed by their closest pursuers, who could take advantage of the October and November matches to snatch their place in the World Cup.
Which teams will compete in the 2026 World Cup play-offs?
Once the various qualifying rounds are complete, 46 of the 48 tickets to the competition will have been distributed. Six play-off teams – one each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC, and two from CONCACAF – will compete for the last two places. The European zone (UEFA), which already has 16 direct places, is therefore the only one not to be offered a place in the intercontinental play-offs.
For now, just New Caledonia (Oceania zone finalist) and Bolivia (seventh in CONMEBOL qualifying) are guaranteed to take part in the mini-tournament, which will be held in North America in March 2026.
When and where will the 2026 World Cup take place?
The United States, Canada and Mexico will host the festivities for this 23rd edition of the World Cup. The tournament will kick off on 11th June 2026, live from the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, which will host the opening match, and will come to a close at MetLife Stadium, the venue for the final on 19th July.
