Frank Christian
The next FIFA World Cup is set for less than two years from now, with the US, Canada, and Mexico hosting the 23rd edition in 2026.
Lionel Messi finally achieved his long-awaited success with Argentina during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Since then, La Albiceleste has defended its Copa America title and leads the CONMEBOL qualifying for the upcoming World Cup.
This World Cup will mark a significant change as 48 teams will compete, a shift from the previous 32-team format used at consecutive tournaments from 1998 to 2022.
This expansion alters the qualification landscape for teams across the six regional confederations: AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA. So, what does the journey to the 2026 World Cup entail?
Which Teams Have Qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026?
The expanded format offers more qualification spots for each confederation. The AFC has doubled its spots from four to eight, and CAF will have nine qualified teams, increased from five.
CONCACAF will see its representatives increase from three to six, benefiting from automatic spots granted to the host nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Just like the last World Cup, two slots will be determined through an inter-continental playoff.
List of Qualified Teams for the 2026 World Cup
| Nation | Confederation | Last World Cup Appearance |
| United States (host) | CONCACAF | 2022 |
| Mexico (host) | CONCACAF | 2022 |
| Canada (host) | CONCACAF | 2022 |
| _ | CONCACAF | |
| _ | CONCACAF | |
| CONCACAF | ||
| _ | AFC | |
| _ | AFC | |
| _ | AFC | |
| _ | AFC | |
| _ | AFC | |
| _ | AFC | |
| _ | AFC | |
| _ | AFC | |
| _ | CAF | |
| _ | CAF | |
| _ | CAF | |
| _ | CAF | |
| _ | CAF | |
| _ | CAF | |
| _ | CAF | |
| _ | CAF | |
| _ | CAF | |
| _ | CONMEBOL | |
| _ | CONMEBOL | |
| _ | CONMEBOL | |
| _ | CONMEBOL | |
| _ | CONMEBOL | |
| _ | CONMEBOL | |
| _ | OFC | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| _ | UEFA | |
| Inter-continental playoff winner 1 | _ | |
| Inter-continental playoff winner 2 | _ |
What is the Qualification Process for the 2026 World Cup?
AFC
The AFC commenced its crucial third round of qualifications in September 2024, with 18 teams arranged into three groups of six, each playing 10 matches in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will secure automatic qualification for the World Cup.
The teams finishing third and fourth will enter a fourth round, divided into two groups of three, where each team will face the others in their group once in October 2025. The group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the runners-up will participate in a playoff in November 2025 to decide which team advances to the intercontinental playoff.
CAF
Africa’s qualification involves nine groups of six teams playing both home and away matches. The winner of each group will qualify directly for the World Cup.
The four best runners-up from this initial round-robin stage will then face off in a playoff, with the winner moving on to the intercontinental playoff as CAF’s representative.
CONCACAF
CONCACAF began its second qualification phase in June 2024, with 30 teams separated into six groups of five. Each team will compete against every other team in their group once, with the phase concluding in June 2025.
The top two from each group will move to the third round, which consists of 12 teams divided into three groups of four. The competitions will commence in September 2025, and the three group winners will qualify for the World Cup, while the two best-ranked runners-up will participate in the intercontinental playoff.
CONMEBOL
In South America, all 10 teams will engage in a round-robin tournament format. The top six teams will automatically qualify for the World Cup, with the seventh team entering the intercontinental playoff.
OFC
For the first time, the OFC is guaranteed a spot in the finals. Its second round, scheduled for October and November 2024, features two groups of four competing for four spots in the third round.
The two top teams from each group will face off in a playoff in March 2025. The winners will qualify for the World Cup, while the runner-up will get a spot in the intercontinental playoff.
UEFA
Out of UEFA’s 16 spots, 12 will be filled by the winners of the initial groups of four or five teams each. The runners-up and the four best UEFA Nations League group winners that didn’t finish in the top two will enter the playoffs.
Those contestants will be divided into four paths for a single-elimination playoff, with seeded teams playing in their home semi-finals and a home nation drawn for the finals. The path winners will qualify for the World Cup. UEFA will not have a representative in the intercontinental playoff.
Inter-continental Playoff
The playoff will feature six teams, with the highest-ranked teams being seeded. The four unseeded teams will face off in a preliminary round, and the two winners will then compete against a seed each to determine the last two World Cup spots.
This playoff format will also serve as a test event for the World Cup, likely held in one or more of the host nations.
When Will the 2026 FIFA World Cup Take Place?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to start on June 11, with Mexico playing at the iconic Azteca Stadium, which previously hosted the finals in 1970 and 1986.
The final match will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19. This tournament will last 40 days, making it the longest World Cup ever, featuring a total of 104 matches played by 48 teams.
When Will the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw Occur?
The specific date for the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has not yet been announced. However, given that the tournament will be back in its usual June-July timeframe, the draw is expected to occur in late 2025.
