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, BALLGM brings you all the teams that have qualified for World Cup 2026:
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, BALLGM brings you all the teams that have qualified for World Cup 2026:
Here is a picture of the various regional qualification campaigns and the teams that are close to securing qualification:
Qualifying in Asia moves onto its fourth and final round, with six teams – Saudi Arabia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Oman and Qatar – vying for the final two qualification spots. Fixtures begin in October.
See the full AFC World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.
Though qualifying in Africa began back in November 2023, only six of the 10 rounds of group matches have been played, meaning the first confirmed participants at the tournament from the region will only begin to emerge in September. Semi-finalists in 2022, Morocco can book their spot for 2026 on Friday if results go their way, while Egypt South Africa Cape Verde Tunisia Ghana Cote d’Ivoire and Algeria could all qualify during the upcoming international break. Things are looking less positive for Nigeria, however, after the Super Eagles won just one of their first six games.
See the full CAF World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.
With the United States, Canada and Mexico qualifying automatically as hosts, the CONCACAF qualification stage has a different complexion. The June window brought the curtain down on the second round before the decisive third round begins in September, with the likes of Costa Rica, Jamaica and Honduras expected to challenge for a place at the tournament.
Qualifying in South America concludes in September, with three places still up for grabs. Uruguay and Paraguay need just a point from their final two games to get over the line, while Colombia know a win over Bolivia on Thursday will be enough for them to earn their spot. The seventh-placed finisher will, meanwhile, head for the inter-confederation play-offs.
See the full CONEMBOL World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.
With New Zealand having secured automatic qualification, New Caledonia advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs, which will be decided in March 2026.
See the full OFC World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.
UEFA qualifying only got under way in March, though some teams won’t kick-off their campaigns until September due to the Nations League. As such, no European qualifiers are expected until October at the earliest.
See the full UEFA World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.
Ecuador had to wait until 2002 to make their World Cup debut, but 2026 will mark their fifth appearance at the finals after a qualification campaign that saw them overcome a three-point deduction to secure a top-six finish in the CONMEBOL table.
Moises Caicedo is the star of an improving side, and there will be high hopes of them reaching the knockout stages for just the second time.
Brazil have continued their perfect record of qualification, securing their 23rd‑straight appearance in the world’s biggest sporting event.
Despite their success in reaching the tournament, the Selecao haven’t won it since 2002 – a long drought for the five‑time champions, who remain the most decorated nation since the World Cup began in 1930.
Australia are into their sixth-successive World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia to the final automatic spot in AFC Group C.
The Socceroos boast a rather experienced squad but have a few talents coming to the fore who may be ready in time for 2026.
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Jordan have qualified for the first-ever World Cup after they beat Iraq in June 2025 to attain a top-two finish in Group B of the third round of AFC qualifying.
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South Korea have qualified for their 11th consecutive World Cup as they look to go one better compared to the last tournament when they lost to Brazil in the last 16.
With the likes of Tottenham‘s Son Heung-min, Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan, Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae and Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in, South Korea will be hoping to fight deeper into the tournament.
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Uzbekistan have qualified for their first-ever World Cup, having finished in the top two in Group A of the AFC’s third-round of qualifiers.
Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan did not see its national team take part in a World Cup qualifying campaign until 1997. Now, they are off to the 2026 World Cup.
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It was never really in doubt, but Argentina will officially be able to defend their crown in 2026 after securing progression from CONMEBOL qualifying.
La Albiceleste will be on the hunt for a fourth title, while they can become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy in what will surely be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup.
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Iran have sealed their spot at a fourth-successive World Cup as they aim to go beyond the group stage at the finals for the first time in their history.
Mehdi Taremi is still knocking in goals at the age of 32 and will again be tasked with leading Team Melli in North America.
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The All Whites will be heading to the World Cup for the third time in their history after securing qualification from the OFC section.
New Zealand previously competed in the 1982 and 2010 World Cups, so the current crop of players – led by the free-scoring Nottingham Forest star Chris Wood – will be keen to make their presence felt after a 16-year absence.
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Japan have qualified for a seventh consecutive World Cup, having booked their place by finishing top of their group in the AFC third round of qualifying.
With the likes of Takefusa Kubo, Wataru Endo, Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Doan in their ranks, the Samurai Blue will hope to go beyond the round of 16 for the first time.
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Canada will feature in the men’s World Cup for the third time in their history, thanks to the fact that they are one of the tournament’s co-hosts. The 2026 edition will be their second tournament in a row, having competed in Qatar 2022.
With players such as Alphonso Davies, Stephen Eustaquio and Jonathan David in their ranks, Canada will be eager to make history on home soil by getting out of the groups.
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The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be the third time Mexico has served as the host country, having previously hosted iconic tournaments in 1970 and 1986.
El Tri are well-accustomed to the World Cup stage and this will be their 18th appearance. However, they have never got past the quarter-final stage and will be aiming to upset the odds by mounting a genuine charge at glory.
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Like Canada and Mexico, the United States are automatic qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup by virtue of being joint hosts. It will be the USMNT’s 12th appearance on this stage, and fans will be hopeful that they can go further into the knockout stage this time around.
Boasting stars such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be quietly confident of their ability to match the best teams in the world despite some recent tournament disappointments.
