The 2026 FIFA World Cup will break new ground next year as a revamped and expanded edition of the most popular football tournament in the world heads to North America.
The United States, Mexico, and Canada will play host to the latest edition of the celebrated event, with more nations than ever before set to be involved over almost six weeks.
Forty-eight teams will feature at the tournament – and from old favourites to new faces, there will be plenty out to make a statement on some of the biggest stages of all.
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So just who has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far?
We take a look at the teams who will be lining up for their national anthems next summer.
WHO HAS QUALIFIED FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP?
42 teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far, including three nations – the United States, Mexico and Canada – as co-hosts of the tournament.
Japan was the first team overall to qualify beyond them, after a successful AFC campaign, with New Zealand the next to secure their berth after victory in the OFC Final.
Defending World Cup champions Argentina were the first South American side to qualify, while Morocco were the first African side to book their place in the North American tournament, and England were the first European side to qualify.
On November 19, three remaining World Cup berths out of CONCACAF were secured, with Curaçao, Haiti and Panama all qualifying.
Curaçao became the smallest ever country to qualify for a World Cup, with a population of only 156,000, after drawing with Jamaica on Wednesday
Meanwhile, both Scotland and Belgium were the qualifying group winners out of UEFA, leaving only six spots remaining.
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List of teams already qualified for the 48-team 2026 World Cup as of Tuesday 18
Team — Confederation — Date of qualification — Finals appearance — Best result
Canada — CONCACAF — February 14, 2023 — 3rd — GS
Mexico —CONCACAF — February 14, 2023 — 18th — QF
United States — CONCACAF — February 14, 2023 — 12th — 3rd
Japan — AFC —March 20, 2025 — 8th — Last-16
New Zealand — OFC — March 24, 2025 — 3rd — GS
Iran — AFC — March 25, 2025 — 7th — GS
Argentina — CONMEBOL — March 25, 2025 — 19th — Champions
Uzbekistan — AFC — June 5, 2025 — 1st
South Korea — AFC — June 5, 2025 — 12th — 4th
Jordan — AFC — June 5, 2025 — 1st —
Australia — AFC — June 10, 2025 — 6th — Last-16
Brazil — CONMEBOL — June 10, 2025 — 23rd — Champions
Ecuador— CONMEBOL — June 10, 2025 — 5th — Last-16
Uruguay — CONMEBOL — September 4, 2025 — 15th — Champions
Colombia — CONMEBOL — September 4, 2025 — 7th — QF
Paraguay — CONMEBOL — September 4, 2025 — 9th — QF
Morocco — CAF — September 5, 2025 — 7th — 4th
Tunisia — CAF — September 8, 2025 — 7th — GS
Egypt — CAF — October 8, 2025 — 4th — GS
Algeria — CAF — October 9, 2025 — 5th — Last-16
Ghana — CAF — October 12, 2025 — 5th — QF
Cape Verde — CAF — October 13, 2025 — 1st appearance
South Africa — CAF — October 14, 2025 — 4th — GS
Qatar — AFC — October 14, 2025 — 2nd — GS
England — UEFA — October 14, 2025 — 17th — Champions
Saudi Arabia — AFC — October 14, 2025 — 7th — Last-16
Ivory Coast — CAF — October 14, 2025 — 4th — GS
Senegal — CAF — October 14, 2025 — 4th — QF
France — UEFA — November 13, 2025 — 17th — Champions
Croatia — UEFA — November 14, 2025 — 7th — 2nd
Portugal — UEFA — November 16, 2025 — 9th — 3rd
Norway — UEFA — November 16, 2025 — 4th — Last-16
Germany — UEFA — November 17, 2025 — 21st — Champions
Netherlands — UEFA — November 17, 2025 — 12th — 2nd
Belgium — UEFA — November 18, 2025 — 15th — 3rd
Austria — UEFA — November 18, 2025 — 8th — 3rd
Switzerland — UEFA — November 18, 2025 — 13th — QF
Spain — UEFA — November 18, 2025 — 17th — Champions
Scotland — UEFA — November 19, 2025 — 9th — GS
Panama — CONCACAF — November 19, 2025 — 2nd — GS
Haiti — CONCACAF — November 19, 2025 — 2nd — GS
Curacao — CONCACAF — November 19, 2025 — 0 — 1st appearance
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WHO CAN STILL CLAIM A SPOT WITHOUT PLAYOFFS?
There are only six spots remaining in the World Cup finals.
Four of those will come from the UEFA playoffs, while two come from the Inter-continental play-offs.
The European play-off format sees nations seeded into four pots, and then those nations are drawn into single-leg knockout matches until only four teams are left.
In the running in UEFA is Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, in the Inter-continental play-offs, Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname have a chance to win the remaining spots.
Their playoffs will be held in Mexico in March with the six nations split into two three-team brackets.
The top seed on each side of the draw goes straight to the final of their bracket, while the lesser two seeds play for the right to face them in the winner-takes-all qualification match.