After the latest international window, ten more national teams have secured their place at the top event, bringing the total to 28 out of 48 confirmed
After the October FIFA window, there are already 28 teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature a total of 48 participants. Below is a brief overview of the qualified teams and how many spots remain to be decided by region.
CONMEBOL (South America)
CONCACAF (North America and Caribbean)
UEFA (Europe)
AFC (Asia)
CAF (Africa)
OFC (Oceania)
The intercontinental play-off process will be held in March 2026 and will have two phases: in the semifinals, four teams will face off, and the two winners will play against the highest-ranked teams in the FIFA Ranking for the last spots. So far, New Caledonia (OFC) and Bolivia (CONMEBOL) are already confirmed for this stage, awaiting the representatives from Asia, Africa, and CONCACAF.
The group stage draw will take place on December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, although six spots will still be unassigned that day: four from UEFA and two from the international play-off, which will be decided in March 2026.
The 23rd edition of the World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time. There will be 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top two and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the round of 32. In total, 104 matches will be played over 39 days of competition.
The tournament will open on June 11, 2026, at Estadio Azteca in Mexico and will conclude on July 29 with the grand final at MetLife Stadium in New York.
The 2026 World Cup is getting closer, and more of its participants are gradually being confirmed. In this October FIFA window, Africa and Asia finished their qualifiers, with only their representatives for the international play-off yet to be determined, while England became the first European team to secure a spot in the next World Cup.
After Morocco and Tunisia secured their qualifications in the previous window, CAF concluded its qualifying process and determined its other six qualifiers. The first to do so was Egypt with its victory in the penultimate matchday by 0-3 against Djibouti, finishing atop Group A with 26 points (5 ahead of Burkina Faso). One day later, Algeria would win Group G with 25 points (7 ahead of Uganda), after defeating Somalia by the same score.
On the final matchday, Ghana narrowly defeated Comoros and claimed the top spot in Group I with 25 points (6 ahead of Madagascar). Just 24 hours later, with a comfortable 3-0 win at home against Swaziland, Cape Verde delivered a major surprise by winning Group D with 23 points, ahead of the favorite Cameroon (19), qualifying for the World Cup for the first time.
Finally, South Africa, Ivory Coast, and Senegal were the last to confirm their tickets to the next World Cup. The South Africans narrowly won Group C, edging out Nigeria by just one point (18 to 17) thanks to a 3-0 victory over Rwanda. Meanwhile, the Ivorians also suffered until the end: their 3-0 win over Kenya left them atop Group F with 26 points, just one ahead of Gabon. Meanwhile, with a convincing 4-0 win, the Senegalese secured Group B, two points ahead of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (24 to 22).
With its 9 qualifiers already confirmed, the African confederation must determine its representative in the play-off, which will be decided among Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Nigeria.
On the AFC side, Qatar and Saudi Arabia will once again be present at a World Cup, as both teams emerged victorious in their respective fourth-round triangulars. The Qataris drew 0-0 with Oman and defeated United Arab Emirates 2-1, while the Saudis did the same by defeating Indonesia 2-3 and drawing 0-0 with Iraq, qualifying by having more goals scored.
With its 8 qualifiers already confirmed, the Asian confederation must determine its representative in the play-off, which will be decided between UAE and Iraq.
Last but not least, England dominated Group K of the UEFA Qualifiers. After thrashing Latvia 0-5, it finished first with a perfect score (18 points in 6 matches) and without conceding a goal. With this impeccable performance, the English team left Albania, its closest pursuer with 11 points, with no mathematical chance of stealing direct qualification with two matches remaining.
