Of the 48 teams that will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer, 42 have now been confirmed. While some secured their place before the final international break of 2025, others had to wait until the end of extra time in their last qualifying match to follow suit.
With seven months to go before kickoff of the competition, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026, Sports Talk United takes a look at all the qualifiers, with the last six to be decided after the European and intercontinental playoffs.
Which UEFA teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
- England
- France
- Croatia
- Portugal
- Norway
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Scotland
- Switzerland
- Austria
- Belgium
Following the final international break of 2025, 12 of the 16 teams that will represent Europe at the 2026 World Cup have been determined. Among them, France, England, Spain, and Germany are considered natural contenders for the title. To find out who the last four qualifiers for the competition will be, the date is set for March, when the 16 playoff teams will each try to come out on top in what promises to be another intense series of qualifying playoffs.
Which CAF teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
- Tunisia
- Morocco
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Cape Verde
- South Africa
- Senegal
In Africa, where the group stage ended last October, all eyes were on the four teams (Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, and Gabon) competing in the continental playoffs, from which only one would emerge victorious and earn the right to compete in the intercontinental playoffs next March.
An opportunity perfectly seized by Sebastien Desabre’s men, who defeated Cameroon in the semi-finals and then Nigeria in the final, and who will attempt to qualify Congo for the second World Cup finals in their history.
Which Concacaf teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
- United States (host country)
- Canada (host country)
- Mexico (host country)
- Curaçao
- Haiti
- Panama
While the United States, Mexico, and Canada, co-hosts of the competition, were all exempt from the qualifying round, 12 other teams could dream of securing their place at the end of the qualifying round. And it was ultimately Curaçao, Haiti, and Panama who, after a nail-biting finish (none of the three qualifiers were known before the final day), secured their direct qualification for the World Cup. Suriname and Jamaica, for their part, will have to compete in intercontinental playoffs to try to clinch their spots.
Which CONMEBOL teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Uruguay
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- Paraguay
The identities of the six CONMEBOL member teams guaranteed to compete in the 2026 World Cup have been known for several weeks now. Bolivia, the playoff team, has also been known for just as long. That is why the South American teams have been playing friendly matches during this November international break.
Which AFC teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
- Japan
- Iran
- Uzbekistan
- Australia
- South Korea
- Jordan
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
In Asia, too, the names of the eight AFC representatives were already known before the end of 2025. What remained to be determined, however, was whether the United Arab Emirates or Iraq would clinch a spot in the intercontinental playoffs. And it was after a 2-1 victory in the second leg (the first leg ended 1-1) that Iraq joined the six contenders for qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Which OFC teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
- New Zeland
Like CONMEBOL, the OFC knew the identity of its sole official representative at the 2026 World Cup even before November. This spot was logically sought after by Chris Wood’s New Zealand, which could be joined in March by New Caledonia if the Argus pull off a feat in the intercontinental playoffs.
