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The full qualifying picture for the 2026 World Cup is set to be completed over the next week.
Of the tournament's 48 qualifying spots, 42 have already been claimed. The final six will be confirmed through playoffs across Europe and in Mexico in the coming days.
Four spots will be decided through European playoffs while another two will be awarded through inter-confederation playoffs in Mexico.
Here's what to know about where qualifying stands for the 2026 World Cup, including which nations could secure berths next:
The 2026 World Cup will include 48 teams, a huge jump up from the 32 that participated in Qatar 2022.
Here is a complete list of all 42 countries to qualify for the 2026 World Cup:
The final six spots will be determined through playoffs over the next week.
The following 16 teams have reached the UEFA World Cup qualifying playoff, with four nations set to earn World Cup berths.
Here's the full format and schedule for the UEFA playoff tournament.
The following six teams will take part in the intercontinental playoff, with two more World Cup spots on the line.
Here's the full format and schedule for the intercontinental playoff.
Here is a complete breakdown of how FIFA divided all 48 berths at the 2026 World Cup:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup 2026 teams qualified, full list, playoff format
Continue reading...
Of the tournament's 48 qualifying spots, 42 have already been claimed. The final six will be confirmed through playoffs across Europe and in Mexico in the coming days.
Four spots will be decided through European playoffs while another two will be awarded through inter-confederation playoffs in Mexico.
Here's what to know about where qualifying stands for the 2026 World Cup, including which nations could secure berths next:
Who has qualified for World Cup 2026?
The 2026 World Cup will include 48 teams, a huge jump up from the 32 that participated in Qatar 2022.
Here is a complete list of all 42 countries to qualify for the 2026 World Cup:
- Host nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
- Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
- Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
- Concacaf: Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
- Oceania: New Zealand
- South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
World Cup qualifying: Who could clinch a 2026 spot next?
The final six spots will be determined through playoffs over the next week.
European playoff teams
The following 16 teams have reached the UEFA World Cup qualifying playoff, with four nations set to earn World Cup berths.
- Slovakia
- Kosovo
- Denmark
- Ukraine
- Turkey
- Republic of Ireland
- Poland
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Italy
- Wales
- Albania
- Czechia
- Romania
- Sweden
- North Macedonia
- Northern Ireland
Here's the full format and schedule for the UEFA playoff tournament.
Intercontinental playoff teams
The following six teams will take part in the intercontinental playoff, with two more World Cup spots on the line.
- Bolivia
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- New Caledonia
- Congo
- Suriname
Here's the full format and schedule for the intercontinental playoff.
World Cup qualifiers: How many spots for each region?
Here is a complete breakdown of how FIFA divided all 48 berths at the 2026 World Cup:
- Host nations (3): Canada, Mexico and the United States all qualified as soon as they were picked to host the tournament.
- Asia (8): Eight Asian countries have qualified, while Iraq defeated UAE to reach to the intercontinental playoff.
- Africa (9): African qualifying sorted 54 countries into nine groups of six (though Eritrea withdrew from Group E before play began). The nine group winners have qualified, while Congo emerged from a four-team playoff to reach to the intercontinental playoff.
- Concacaf (3): The region's third round – featuring three groups of four – began play in September. Group winners Curaçao, Haiti and Panama qualified directly to the World Cup, while the two best runners-up, Jamaica and Suriname, will enter the intercontinental playoff.
- Europe (16): UEFA qualifying featured 54 teams broken up into 12 groups. Group winners qualified for the World Cup, while the second-place finishers (along with the top four teams from the UEFA Nations League who didn't win their qualifying groups) will enter a playoff for Europe's final four berths.
- Oceania (1): New Zealand has already claimed Oceania's only guaranteed berth at the 2026 World Cup, while New Caledonia is headed to the intercontinental playoff.
- South America (6): CONMEBOL's marathon qualifying tournament has concluded, with six teams getting places at the World Cup. A seventh (Bolivia) claimed the region's spot in the intercontinental playoff.
- Intercontinental playoff (2): Six teams will battle for two spots in the intercontinental playoff, which takes place in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup 2026 teams qualified, full list, playoff format
Continue reading...