FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

📅Updated: September 2025

⚽18 Teams Qualified

🌍6 Confederations

The FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers are progressing rapidly across all confederations, with 18 teams now securing their spots in the expanded 48-team tournament. The latest qualification rounds have seen Tunisia join Morocco as Africa’s qualified representatives, while South America and Asia continue to produce compelling storylines.

Tournament Overview

48Total Teams

18Qualified

3Host Nations

30Spots Remaining

Qualified Teams

The tournament will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Here are the teams that have secured their qualification:

Host Nations (Automatic Qualification)

🇺🇸

United States

Co-host nation with automatic qualification
🇲🇽

Mexico

Historic third-time World Cup host
🇨🇦

Canada

First time hosting men’s World Cup

CONMEBOL (South America) – 6 Qualified

Six South American teams have secured qualification, with the latest additions completing a remarkable qualifying campaign:

🇦🇷

Argentina

Defending world champions, first CONMEBOL qualifier
🇧🇷

Brazil

Five-time winners, early qualification secured
🇪🇨

Ecuador

Qualified despite 3-point penalty
🇺🇾

Uruguay

Fifth consecutive World Cup, 3-0 victory over Peru
🇨🇴

Colombia

Return after missing Qatar 2022, James Rodriguez record
🇵🇾

Paraguay

First World Cup since 2010, national holiday declared

AFC (Asia) – 6 Qualified

Six Asian teams have secured their spots, including two historic first-time qualifiers:

🇯🇵

Japan

First team worldwide to qualify (excluding hosts)
🇮🇷

Iran

Fourth consecutive World Cup appearance
🇰🇷

South Korea

Historic 11th consecutive qualification
🇯🇴

Jordan

First-ever World Cup qualification
🇺🇿

Uzbekistan

Historic debut, first Central Asian nation
🇦🇺

Australia

Sixth consecutive qualification

CAF (Africa) – 2 Qualified

Two African teams have secured their places as the continent’s early qualifiers:

🇲🇦

Morocco

First African qualifier, 5-0 victory over Niger, perfect Group E record
🇹🇳

Tunisia

Seventh World Cup appearance, topped Group H to secure qualification

OFC (Oceania) – 1 Qualified

🇳🇿

New Zealand

First World Cup since 2010

September 2025 Qualification Highlights

The latest rounds of qualification matches have produced dramatic storylines across multiple confederations:

Recent Qualification Results

Morocco 5-0 Niger: First African nation qualified with dominant performance in Rabat
Tunisia tops Group H: Secured seventh World Cup appearance with group victory
Uruguay 3-0 Peru: La Celeste secures fifth consecutive World Cup at Estadio Centenario
Paraguay 0-0 Ecuador: Crucial draw ends 16-year World Cup drought, triggers national holiday
Colombia 3-0 Bolivia: Los Cafeteros return after missing Qatar 2022, James Rodriguez breaks record

Qualification Structure

The qualification process varies across confederations, reflecting the global nature of football:

Europe (UEFA) – 16 Spots Available

54 teams compete for 16 spots through 12 groups. Group winners qualify directly, while runners-up enter playoffs. Qualifying continues through November 2025.

Africa (CAF) – 7 Spots Remaining

54 teams compete for 9 direct spots in nine groups of six teams each. Morocco and Tunisia have secured the first two spots, with group winners advancing directly.

Asia (AFC) – 2 Spots Remaining

The final round features playoff tournaments to determine the remaining two Asian representatives at the World Cup.

CONCACAF – 3 Spots Available

Beyond the three host nations, CONCACAF has three additional spots with qualifying continuing through regional tournaments.

Key Upcoming Dates

European Qualifiers: Continuing through November 2025, playoffs in March 2026
African Qualifiers: Group stage concluding in October 2025
CONCACAF Qualifiers: Third round ongoing for remaining spots
Intercontinental Playoffs: March 2026 for final qualification spots

🏆 September 2025 Notable Achievements

Morocco becomes first African nation qualified for 2026
Tunisia secures qualification as Group H winners
Paraguay ends 16-year World Cup absence with national celebration
Uruguay extends remarkable consistency with fifth consecutive qualification
Colombia returns to World Cup after missing Qatar 2022
James Rodriguez breaks Colombian World Cup qualifying scoring record
CONMEBOL completes six automatic qualifiers with one match day remaining
Africa sees two early qualifiers with Morocco and Tunisia

Tournament Format

The expanded 48-team format brings significant changes:

48 teams divided into 16 groups of three teams each in the group stage
Top two teams from each group advance to Round of 32
Increased representation from all confederations
More opportunities for smaller nations to compete on football’s biggest stage

Remaining Qualification Spots by Confederation

🌍

UEFA (Europe)

16 spots available – Group stage and playoffs ongoing
🌍

CAF (Africa)

7 spots remaining – Group winners and playoffs
🌍

CONCACAF (North/Central America)

3 spots available beyond host nations
🌍

AFC (Asia)

2 spots remaining through playoffs
🌍

Intercontinental Playoffs

2 final spots through March 2026 tournament

With 18 teams now qualified and 30 spots remaining, the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers continue to provide drama and excitement across all confederations. The qualification of Morocco and Tunisia from Africa, alongside the emotional returns of Paraguay and Colombia, demonstrates the global competitiveness and significance of reaching football’s premier tournament.

The expanded 48-team format ensures the most diverse World Cup in history, with representation from all confederations and compelling storylines from first-time qualifiers to veteran tournament participants. Follow the latest updates as more teams secure their places in what promises to be an unforgettable tournament across North America.