Which Teams have Qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026? Who will be Taking Part in Playoffs? Check Full List

The FIFA World Cup 2026, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the largest edition in history, featuring 48 teams. As the qualification concludes, this expansion has paved the way

for exciting debutants and surprising qualifiers from all over the world.

The UEFA qualifiers concluded on November 18, as the top 12 teams of the qualifiers have advanced to the World Cup. Apart from that, the contenders from other continents have also confirmed their spot in the extravaganza next year.

Automatic Qualification for Host Nations

The United States, Mexico, and Canada have automatically qualified as hosts, marking an unprecedented joint hosting effort in World Cup history.

Debutants Making History

A standout feature of the 2026 World Cup is the entry of several nations making their tournament debut.

Cape Verde: This small island nation off the west coast of Africa, population around 600,000, qualifies for the first time, a remarkable achievement surpassing many established football nations in Africa.​

Uzbekistan: Making its debut after years of progress in Asian football, Uzbekistan has steadily improved since its independence in 1991 and now secured a historic World Cup berth through AFC qualification.​

Jordan: Another AFC debutant, Jordan has had close calls in previous cycles but finally earned their spot by finishing strong in their qualifying group.​

These Caribbean nations have punched above their weight, qualifying alongside the host region's automatic entries, showcasing the growing competitiveness in CONCACAF.​ Cape Verde's qualification over a historically stronger Cameroon is seen as one of the qualifiers' surprises, highlighting shifts in African football dynamics.​

World Cup 2026 Qualified Teams

Europe leads with top football nations like England, France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal, alongside returning teams such as Austria, Norway, and Scotland. South America features its traditional powerhouses Brazil, Argentina, while Chile have missed out.

Africa boasts nine qualifiers, including debutant Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, and Morocco. Asia sends eight teams with debutants Jordan and Uzbekistan joining established squads like Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. Oceania continues with New Zealand, while North America, beyond hosts USA, Mexico, and Canada, includes Haiti, Curacao, and Panama, reflecting expanded regional representation for the 2026 World Cup. So far, 42 teams have booked their places, with six more to confirm their berth via playoffs.

AFC

Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

UEFA

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

OFC

New Zealand

CONBEMOL

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

CONCACAF

Canada, USA, Mexico, Curacao, Haiti, Panama

CAF

Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

Who will be playing in the World Cup 2026 Inter-Confederation Qualification Playoffs?

Six teams across South America, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania will be playing in an inter-confederation playoff. Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname have qualified for it.

Out of these six, two teams will advance to the World Cup. These playoff matches will be held in March next year and they will be played in Mexico. The bottom four ranked teams (Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname) will be placed in an elimination match, and the two winners will take on Iraq and DR Congo respectively in the playoff finals. The two playoff final winners will advance to World Cup.

Who will be Playing in the UEFA Qualification Playoffs?

16 teams have qualified for the playoffs round and four teams will advance to the World Cup. This is being named as the 2nd round of UEFA's World Cup qualification. The 12 second-placed teams of the qualifiers, along with four best-placed Nations League teams (that finish outside of top two in qualifiers) are going to be drawn in four playoff paths. The winners of each pathway will then qualify for the World Cup.

The teams in the playoff round are - Slovakia, Kosovo, Denmark, Ukraine, Turkey, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Wales, Albania, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland.