2026 FIFA World Cup: Who Has Certified? Who Can Make It?

Ready for the world’s biggest sporting event? The countdown is on for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Spread across the countries (Canda, Mexico, and the U.S.), 48 teams will take part in the largest edition of the tournament ever.

Which teams are already in and which ones are close to booking their spot. Let’s dive in!

When is the World Cup? 

The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The FOX family of networks and the FOX Sports app are your complete home for World Cup content, including live matches, complete highlights, commentary and analysis, and full-match replays.

What we know:

• 48 teams will participate in the World Cup;
• 46 of those will qualify directly; the other two will be via the six-team intercontinental playoff;
• Three co-host teams — Canada, Mexico, United States — are in;
• Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador are in after qualifying through the South American (CONMEBOL) confederation;
• Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea and Uzbekistan are in after qualifying through the Asian (AFC) confederation;
• New Zealand is in after qualifying through the Oceania (OFC) confederation;

Who’s in (alphabetical order, complete World Cup appearances):

• Australia (7 appearances)
• Argentina (19 appearances)
• Brazil (23 appearances)
• Canada (3 appearances)
• Ecuador (5 appearances)
• Iran (7 appearances)
• Japan (8 appearances)
• Jordan (will make debut in 2026)
• Mexico (18 appearances)
• New Zealand (3 appearances)
• South Korea (12 appearances)
• United States (12 appearances)
• Uzbekistan (will make debut in 2026)

What to anticipate in September matches:

Asia (AFC) — Six nations within the area – Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Uzbekistan and South Korea are set. However there’s nonetheless two direct spots left. Qatar, the UAE, and Oman are in a single group with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia within the different. These video games might be performed via September and October. 

South America (CONMEBOL) — Uruguay, Colombia, and Paraguay are attempting to ebook their direct spots. Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador are already in. Venezuela, Peru, and Bolivia are within the combine for the intercontinental playoff spot. Chile is eradicated. 

Europe (UEFA) — No groups have certified but. Spain, France, Germany, and Portugal will lastly kick off their qualifying campaigns in September. Different heavyweights like England, Italy and the Netherlands have already begun.

North America/Central America/Caribbean (CONCACAF) — Other than the three co-hosts, nobody from this area has booked their spot but. There are 12 groups (cut up into three teams) who’ll start a round-robin part that runs via November. The three group winners will head on to the World Cup. Search for groups like Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Honduras to be among the many contenders. 

Africa (CAF) — There are 9 teams of six groups, however nobody has clinched a direct spot but. Egypt has a large lead in its qualifying group, as do different contenders like Morocco and Senegal. Count on these groups to shut it out in September. 

Oceania (OFA) — That is accomplished and dusted, with New Zealand already in and having this confederation’s solely direct spot. The tiny island of New Caledonia, formally a French abroad territory, nonetheless has a shot as a participant within the intercontinental playoff. 

The intercontinental playoffs, defined:

Forward of the World Cup, two spots might be clinched within the playoffs that may happen in March 2026. Six groups will take part, with Europe (UEFA) being excluded from this spherical:

• 1 Africa (TBD)
• 1 Asia (TBD)
• 2 North and Central America/Caribbean (TBD)
• 1 Oceania (New Caledonia)
• 1 South America (TBD)

The 2 groups with the best FIFA rankings will get byes to the 2 separate finals. The opposite 4 groups will face one another to achieve these finalists. The 2 groups to emerge from this playoff spherical will go to the World Cup. 

Area-by-region breakdown:

AFC (Asia)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify? 
8 routinely, 1 enters the playoffs

Who’s in?
Australia, Iran, Jordan, Japan, South Korea, Uzbekistan

What’s occurred to date?

The qualifying event in Asia began again in October 2023 with 46 groups taking part. After three rounds of qualifying, six groups have booked World Cup spots, with two extra direct spots up (and one playoff berth) up for grabs when Spherical 4 begins in September. Full standings could be discovered right here. 

Spherical 4 consists of six groups (the third- and fourth-placed groups from Spherical 3), and cut up into two teams. These group winners advance to the World Cup. 

The primary group might be: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman 
The second group might be: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Indonesia

The runners-up go to Spherical 5, with the winner then heading to the intercontinental playoff.  

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CAF (Africa)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify?
9 routinely, 1 enters the playoffs

Who’s in?
None certified but

What’s occurred to date?

The qualifying course of picks again up in September. There are 54 groups (now diminished to 52) cut up into 9 teams of six groups every. 

The 9 group winners will advance on to the World Cup, and the 4 finest second-place groups will combat for an intercontinental playoff spot. On the midway level of the qualification part, there are many high groups in charge of their respective teams. 

Groups like Egypt and South Africa are in charge of their respective teams for the second. Morocco, the 2022 World Cup shock semifinals, are additionally in management of their group. 

The one wrinkle is Group E – which has been diminished to 4 groups after the disqualification of Congo and Eritrea – and the way that would probably have an effect on whoever finishes in second place, since it might not have sufficient factors to be thought of for the intercontinental playoff part. 

Listed here are the highest two groups from every group, as issues stand. Full standings could be discovered right here.

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CONCACAF (North & Central America and the Caribbean)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify?
6 routinely (3 co-hosts, 3 via qualifying), 2 enter the playoffs

Who’s in?
Canada, Mexico, United States

What’s occurred to date?

The three co-hosts are in, leaving three extra automated spots for the area. There are additionally two spots for the intercontinental playoff to be decided. Initially, 32 groups started the method, with 30 groups – six teams of 5 groups – advancing into the second spherical of qualification, which concluded in June. The highest two groups from every group superior to Spherical 3. 

Spherical 3 will start in September with three teams of 4 groups. The winners transfer onto the World Cup, and the 2 finest runners-up get intercontinental playoff spots. Full standings could be discovered right here. 

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CONMEBOL (South America)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify?
6 routinely, 1 enters the playoffs

Who’s in?
Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador

What’s occurred to date?

Three groups from the 10-team area have clinched, with Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador transferring onto the World Cup. Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia nonetheless have work to do to qualify immediately. Venezuela presently holds the playoff spot. 

Bolivia and Peru nonetheless have a small window to get the playoff spot, however Chile is formally eradicated. 

This is how the present desk stands. Groups which have certified have an asterisk (*). Full standings could be discovered right here. 

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OFC (Oceania)

What number of World Cup groups have certified?
1 routinely, 1 enters the playoffs

Who’s in?
New Zealand, New Caledonia (playoff group)

What’s occurred to date:

The 11-team qualifying event from this area, consisting of nations and territories within the South Pacific, concluded in March. One group emerged from Spherical 1, becoming a member of the seven top-ranked groups of the area. These eight groups have been cut up into two teams for Spherical 2, with the highest two groups from every group advancing to the semifinals. 

Semifinals, March 21
New Caledonia 3, Tahiti 0
New Zealand 7, Fiji 0

Last, March 24
New Zealand 3, New Caledonia 0

New Zealand will head to the World Cup, whereas New Caledonia might be one of many six groups within the intercontinental playoff. Full standings could be discovered right here. 

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UEFA (Europe)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify?
16 (12 routinely, 4 via a UEFA-only playoff)

Who’s in?
None certified but

What’s occurred to date:

There are 54 (excluding Russia) groups who started the qualifying course of in March. Some notable groups have already begun the qualifying course of – together with England, Italy, and the Netherlands. Different high groups – France, Germany, Spain, Portugal – lastly start the method in September. 

In all, there are 12 teams of both 4 or 5 groups every. The winner of every group will clinch World Cup spots.

The 12 runners-up transfer to a subsequent playoff spherical, added by the 4 best-ranked Nations League group winners that didn’t end their World Cup qualifying group in first or second place. These 16 groups will then be bracketed to clinch the remaining 4 World Cup spots in March 2026.

European groups can’t attain the World Cup by way of the intercontinental playoff.

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