The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached a critical milestone with 42 teams now officially confirmed to compete in the expanded 48-team tournament taking place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Here is the complete breakdown of all qualified nations by confederation.
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualified Teams List
With 42 teams already locked in for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, this expanded tournament is set to be one for the history books.
The mix of legendary teams like France, Germany, and Brazil with rising stars such as Cape Verde and Curacao promises unmatched global representation and thrilling football across the three host nations.
The last six spots—four from the European playoffs and two from the inter-confederation playoffs—will be decided by March 2026, completing the full 48-team lineup.
Host Nations (Automatic Qualification)
Three nations earned automatic qualification as co-hosts:
- Canada
- Mexico
- United States
AFC (Asia) – 8 Teams Qualified
The Asian confederation has secured all eight available spots:
- Japan – Qualified March 20, 2025
- Australia – Qualified
- South Korea – Qualified
- Iran – Qualified
- Saudi Arabia – Qualified
- Jordan – Qualified
- Qatar – Qualified
- Uzbekistan – Qualified
CAF (Africa) – 9 Teams Qualified
African nations have filled all nine available berths:
- Egypt – Qualified
- Morocco – Qualified
- Algeria – Qualified
- Senegal – Qualified
- Ivory Coast – Qualified
- Tunisia – Qualified
- Ghana – Qualified
- South Africa – Qualified
- Cape Verde – Qualified
CONCACAF (North America, Central America, Caribbean) – 6 Teams Qualified
The CONCACAF region has six confirmed teams, with the hosts (USA, Mexico, Canada) plus:
- Panama – Qualified
- Haiti – Qualified
- Curacao – Qualified (Historic achievement: smallest nation ever to qualify for World Cup)
One additional CONCACAF spot remains to be determined via playoff.
CONMEBOL (South America) – 6 Teams Qualified
South American nations have secured all six available spots:
- Argentina – Qualified (Defending Champions)
- Brazil – Qualified
- Uruguay – Qualified
- Colombia – Qualified
- Ecuador – Qualified
- Paraguay – Qualified
OFC (Oceania) – 1 Team Qualified
- New Zealand – Qualified March 21, 2025
UEFA (Europe) – 12 Teams Qualified
European teams have locked in 12 of 16 available spots:
- England – Qualified
- France – Qualified
- Spain – Qualified
- Germany – Qualified
- Netherlands – Qualified
- Portugal – Qualified
- Belgium – Qualified
- Austria – Qualified
- Switzerland – Qualified
- Croatia – Qualified
- Norway – Qualified
- Scotland – Qualified
Remaining Places to be Decided – 6 Spots
UEFA Play-offs – 4 Spots
Sixteen European teams are competing for the final four European berths through playoff matches in March 2026:
Group Runners-up:
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Poland
- Republic of Ireland
- Slovakia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Wales
UEFA Nations League Qualifiers:
- North Macedonia
- Romania
- Sweden
- Greece (potentially)
Inter-Confederation Play-offs – 2 Spots
Two additional spots will be decided through inter-confederation playoffs among:
Confirmed Finalists:
- Iraq (AFC)
- DR Congo (CAF)
Other Competing Nations:
- Bolivia (CONMEBOL)
- Jamaica (CONCACAF)
- New Caledonia (OFC)
- Suriname (CONCACAF)
Quick Stats
- Total Qualified: 42 teams
- Remaining Places: 6 teams
- Total Tournament Size: 48 teams
- Total Matches: 104 (compared to 64 in 2022)
- Host Nations: 3 (USA, Canada, Mexico)
- Group Stage: 12 groups of 4 teams each
Historic Achievements in Qualification
Notable Qualifications:
- Curacao becomes the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup
- Haiti returns to the World Cup for the first time since 1974
- Cape Verde qualifies for the first time in World Cup history
- Uzbekistan secures its fourth World Cup appearance
- New Zealand qualifies for the fourth consecutive World Cup
Playoff Schedule
UEFA Playoffs – March 2026
- Draw for playoff brackets in November 2025
- Playoff fixtures scheduled for March 2026
Inter-Confederation Playoffs
- Finals in March 2026 to determine final two spots
2026 World Cup Draw
Date: December 5, 2025, at 5:00 PM UK time
Location: FIFA Headquarters, Zurich, Switzerland
The Qualified Teams of the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will determine group allocations and match schedules for all 48 teams.
Key Timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Last Qualifying Matches | November 18, 2025 |
| World Cup Draw | December 5, 2025 |
| UEFA Playoffs | March 2026 |
| Inter-Confederation Playoffs | March 2026 |
| Tournament Begins | June 11, 2026 |
| Tournament Ends | July 19, 2026 |