| π Image | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 7 September 2023 β 31 March 2026 |
| Teams | 206 (from 6 confederations) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 899 |
| Goals scored | 2,527 (2.81 per match) |
| Attendance | 15,626,580 (17,382 per match) |
| Top scorer | π Norway Erling Haaland (16 goals) |
β 2022 2030 β | |
The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification decided the 45 teams that joined hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The qualifying process began on 7 September 2023 with three matches of the CONMEBOL zone played that day.[1] The first goal of the qualification series was scored by Colombian player Rafael Santos BorrΓ© against Venezuela.[2][3] Qualification ended on 31 March 2026.
Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan all qualified for the first time, with Curaçao becoming the smallest nation to ever qualify,[4] while Qatar had their first successful qualifying campaign after making their debut in the previous edition as hosts, and Iraq had the longest qualifying campaign, playing 21 matches over a 28-month period to qualify for the World Cup.[5][6]
Slot allocation
On 30 March 2017, the Bureau of the FIFA Council (composed of the FIFA president and the presidents of each of the six confederations) proposed a slot allocation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The recommendation was submitted for the ratification by the FIFA Council.[7][8]
On 9 May 2017, two days before the 67th FIFA Congress, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation in a meeting in Manama, Bahrain. This included an intercontinental play-off tournament involving six teams to decide the last two FIFA World Cup spots.[9]
The ratification of slot allocation also gave the OFC a guaranteed berth in the final tournament for the first time in FIFA World Cup history; as such, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first tournament in which all six confederations have at least one guaranteed berth.
Qualified teams
Team qualified
Team eliminated
Team withdrew or suspended
Not a FIFA member
| Team | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Total times qualified |
Last time qualified |
Current consecutive appearances |
Previous best performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| π Image Canada |
Hosts | 14 February 2023[a] | 3 | 2022 | 2 | Group stage (1986, 2022) |
| π Image Mexico |
Hosts | 14 February 2023[a] | 18 | 2022 | 9 | Quarter-finals (1970, 1986) |
| π Image United States |
Hosts | 14 February 2023[a] | 12 | 2022 | 2 | Third place (1930) |
| π Image Japan |
AFC third round Group C winners | 20 March 2025 | 8 | 2022 | 8 | Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022) |
| π Image New Zealand |
OFC third round winners | 24 March 2025 | 3 | 2010 | 1 | Group stage (1982, 2010) |
| π Image Iran |
AFC third round Group A winners | 25 March 2025 | 7 | 2022 | 4 | Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022) |
| π Image Argentina |
CONMEBOL winners | 25 March 2025 | 19 | 2022 | 14 | Winners (1978, 1986, 2022) |
| π Image Uzbekistan |
AFC third round Group A runners-up | 5 June 2025 | 1[b] | βN/a | 1 | βN/a |
| π Image Jordan |
AFC third round Group B runners-up | 5 June 2025 | 1 | βN/a | 1 | βN/a |
| π Image South Korea |
AFC third round Group B winners | 5 June 2025 | 12 | 2022 | 11 | Fourth place (2002) |
| π Image Australia |
AFC third round Group C runners-up | 10 June 2025 | 7 | 2022 | 6 | Round of 16 (2006, 2022) |
| π Image Brazil |
CONMEBOL fifth place | 10 June 2025 | 23 | 2022 | 23 | Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) |
| π Image Ecuador |
CONMEBOL runners-up | 10 June 2025 | 5 | 2022 | 2 | Round of 16 (2006) |
| π Image Paraguay |
CONMEBOL sixth place | 4 September 2025 | 9 | 2010 | 1 | Quarter-finals (2010) |
| π Image Uruguay |
CONMEBOL fourth place | 4 September 2025 | 15 | 2022 | 5 | Winners (1930, 1950) |
| π Image Colombia |
CONMEBOL third place | 4 September 2025 | 7 | 2018 | 1 | Quarter-finals (2014) |
| π Image Morocco |
CAF Group E winners | 5 September 2025 | 7 | 2022 | 3 | Fourth place (2022) |
| π Image Tunisia |
CAF Group H winners | 8 September 2025 | 7 | 2022 | 3 | Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022) |
| π Image Egypt |
CAF Group A winners | 8 October 2025 | 4 | 2018 | 1 | First round[c] (1934), group stage (1990, 2018) |
| π Image Algeria |
CAF Group G winners | 9 October 2025 | 5 | 2014 | 1 | Round of 16 (2014) |
| π Image Ghana |
CAF Group I winners | 12 October 2025 | 5 | 2022 | 2 | Quarter-finals (2010) |
| π Image Cape Verde |
CAF Group D winners | 13 October 2025 | 1 | βN/a | 1 | βN/a |
| π Image Qatar |
AFC fourth round Group A winners | 14 October 2025 | 2 | 2022 | 2 | Group stage (2022) |
| π Image Saudi Arabia |
AFC fourth round Group B winners | 14 October 2025 | 7 | 2022 | 3 | Round of 16 (1994) |
| π Image Senegal |
CAF Group B winners | 14 October 2025 | 4 | 2022 | 3 | Quarter-finals (2002) |
| π Image South Africa |
CAF Group C winners | 14 October 2025 | 4 | 2010 | 1 | Group stage (1998, 2002, 2010) |
| π Image Ivory Coast |
CAF Group F winners | 14 October 2025 | 4 | 2014 | 1 | Group stage (2006, 2010, 2014) |
| π Image England |
UEFA Group K winners | 14 October 2025 | 17 | 2022 | 8 | Winners (1966) |
| π Image France |
UEFA Group D winners | 13 November 2025 | 18[d] | 2022 | 8 | Winners (1998, 2018) |
| π Image Croatia |
UEFA Group L winners | 14 November 2025 | 7[e] | 2022 | 4 | Runners-up (2018) |
| π Image Portugal |
UEFA Group F winners | 16 November 2025 | 9 | 2022 | 7 | Third place (1966) |
| π Image Norway |
UEFA Group I winners | 16 November 2025 | 4 | 1998 | 1 | Round of 16 (1998) |
| π Image Germany |
UEFA Group A winners | 17 November 2025 | 21[f] | 2022 | 19 | Winners (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) |
| π Image Netherlands |
UEFA Group G winners | 17 November 2025 | 12 | 2022 | 2 | Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010) |
| π Image Switzerland |
UEFA Group B winners | 18 November 2025 | 13 | 2022 | 6 | Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954) |
| π Image Scotland |
UEFA Group C winners | 18 November 2025 | 10[g] | 1998 | 1 | Group stage (1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998) |
| π Image Spain |
UEFA Group E winners | 18 November 2025 | 17 | 2022 | 13 | Winners (2010) |
| π Image Austria |
UEFA Group H winners | 18 November 2025 | 9[h] | 1998 | 1 | Third place (1954) |
| π Image Belgium |
UEFA Group J winners | 18 November 2025 | 15 | 2022 | 4 | Third place (2018) |
| π Image Panama |
CONCACAF third round Group A winners | 18 November 2025 | 2 | 2018 | 1 | Group stage (2018) |
| π Image CuraΓ§ao |
CONCACAF third round Group B winners | 18 November 2025 | 1 | βN/a | 1 | βN/a |
| π Image Haiti |
CONCACAF third round Group C winners | 18 November 2025 | 2 | 1974 | 1 | Group stage (1974) |
| π Image Bosnia and Herzegovina |
UEFA play-offs Path A winners | 31 March 2026 | 2[i] | 2014 | 1 | Group stage (2014) |
| π Image Sweden |
UEFA play-offs Path B winners | 31 March 2026 | 13 | 2018 | 1 | Runners-up (1958) |
| π Image Turkey |
UEFA play-offs Path C winners | 31 March 2026 | 4[j] | 2002 | 1 | Third place (2002) |
| π Image Czech Republic |
UEFA play-offs Path D winners | 31 March 2026 | 10[k] | 2006 | 1 | Runners-up (1934, 1962) |
| π Image DR Congo |
Inter-confederation Pathway 1 play-off winners | 31 March 2026 | 2[l] | 1974 | 1 | Group stage (1974) |
| π Image Iraq |
Inter-confederation Pathway 2 play-off winners | 31 March 2026 | 2 | 1986 | 1 | Group stage (1986) |
- ^ a b c Although the United bid was selected on 13 June 2018, the automatic berths allocated to the hosts were not confirmed until a decision by the FIFA Council on 14 February 2023.[10]
- ^ Until 1991, Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union, which competed at seven World Cup tournaments. FIFA considers Russia to be the successor team of the Soviet Union.
- ^ The 1934 World Cup was a straight knockout tournament between 16 teams and did not feature a group stage.
- ^ France qualified 18 times, but only participated 17 times as they withdrew in 1950.
- ^ Until 1992, Croatia was part of Yugoslavia, which competed at eight World Cup tournaments. FIFA considers Serbia to be the successor team of Yugoslavia.
- ^ From 1950 to 1990, Germany competed as West Germany, as a separate East German team existed during that period.
- ^ Scotland qualified 10 times, but only participated 9 times as they withdrew in 1950.
- ^ Austria qualified 9 times, but only participated 8 times as they withdrew in 1938.
- ^ Until 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of Yugoslavia, which competed at eight World Cup tournaments. FIFA considers Serbia to be the successor team of Yugoslavia.
- ^ Turkey qualified 4 times, but only participated 3 times as they withdrew in 1950.
- ^ Includes eight appearances by Czechoslovakia, as FIFA considers Czech Republic and Slovakia to be joint successors.
- ^ From 1970 to 1998, DR Congo competed as Zaire.
Qualified teams facts
Debutants and returnees
- Cape Verde,[11] Curaçao,[A][12] Jordan, and Uzbekistan[B][13] will all make their World Cup debuts.
- Qatar advanced to the tournament through qualification for the first time, as it automatically qualified as host in 2022.[14]
- DR Congo[C] and Haiti return to the tournament after appearing in their only previous tournament in 1974.[12][15]
- Iraq returns to the tournament after appearing in their only previous tournament in 1986.[16]
- Austria, Norway,[17] and Scotland return to the tournament after last appearing in 1998.[18]
- Turkey qualified for the first time since finishing third in 2002.[19]
- Czech Republic[D] qualified for the first time since 2006.[20]
- New Zealand, Paraguay, and South Africa (2010 World Cup host) returned after last taking part in 2010.[21] The South Africans achieved its first successful qualifying campaign since 2002 while New Zealand is the lowest ranked team to qualify, ranked 85th.[22]
- Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ivory Coast qualified for the first time since 2014. The Bosnians achieved their first successful qualification process for a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup.
- Colombia, Egypt, Panama, and Sweden made a return after missing out in 2022.
Absentees
- Italy missed out after being defeated in the European playoff final by Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties, becoming the first former champion to miss out on three consecutive World Cups.[23] Similar to 2018 and 2022, Italy was the only former champion that did not qualify.
- Chile, who last qualified in 2014, failed to advance for the third consecutive time, in a similar way to Italy, being the second time the country did not qualify to three consecutive World Cups after failing from 1986 to 1994.
- Nigeria, who last qualified in 2018, failed to advance after losing to DR Congo on penalties in the final match of the CAF play-offs. This marked the first time the country failed to qualify for consecutive World Cups since before their first successful qualification in 1994.
- Cameroon, Costa Rica, Denmark, Poland, Serbia, and Wales, all of whom qualified in 2022, also did not qualify for the 2026 tournament.
Other
- Uzbekistan will become the first country from Central Asia to take part in the FIFA World Cup.[24]
- Iraq's successful qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup is considered one of the longest ever by a national team, spanning 21 matches over a period of 28 months.[25][26]
- It will be the first time that two Caribbean nations (Curaçao and Haiti) take part in the World Cup together.
- This was the first time that eight Arab nations (Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia) qualified for the World Cup, an increase from four teams in 2018 and 2022.[27]
- Sweden advanced to the tournament via the play-offs, becoming the first European nation to qualify for the World Cup after only reaching the play-offs through the UEFA Nations League.[28]
- As of 1 April 2026, the highest ranked team not to qualify was Italy (ranked 12th), while the lowest ranked team that did qualify was New Zealand (ranked 85th).
Qualification process
On 9 May 2017, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation scheme for the new 48-team final format.[9]
Summary of qualification
| π Image | |||||||||
| Confederation | Direct slots | Change from 2022 | Play-off slots | Teams started | Teams eliminated | Teams qualified | Qualifying start date | Qualifying end date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 8 | π Increase 3 |
1 | 46 | 37 | 9 | 12 October 2023 | 18 November 2025 | |
| CAF | 9 | π Increase 4 |
1 | 53 | 43 | 10 | 15 November 2023 | 16 November 2025 | |
| CONCACAF | 3+3 (hosts) | π Increase 3 |
2 | 32+3 (hosts) | 29 | 3+3 (hosts) | 22 March 2024 | 18 November 2025 | |
| CONMEBOL | 6 | π Increase 2 |
1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 7 September 2023 | 9 September 2025 | |
| OFC | 1 | π Increase 1 |
1 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 6 September 2024 | 24 March 2025 | |
| UEFA | 16 | π Increase 3 |
0 | 54 | 38 | 16 | 21 March 2025 | 31 March 2026 | |
| Play-offs | 2 | π Steady |
βN/a | (6) | (4) | (2) | 26 March 2026 | 31 March 2026 | |
| Total | 45+3 (hosts) | π Increase 16 |
6 | 206+3 (hosts) | 161 | 45+3 | 7 September 2023 | 31 March 2026 | |
Suspensions and withdrawals
Russia were suspended indefinitely on 28 February 2022 from participating in UEFA and FIFA competitions for the country's invasion of Ukraine.[29] A circular distributed by UEFA on 11 November 2024 stated 192 group stage matches would take place, confirming Russia's exclusion from the tournament.[30]
Sri Lanka were suspended in January 2023 for an unspecified reason,[31] and they did not appear in the draw information the AFC released in early July.[32] However, they were re-added with the condition that their federation would hold elections at least ten days before qualification would begin.[33]
Eritrea withdrew from qualification on 10 November 2023, prior to playing any matches, having concerns that players would seek political asylum if allowed to travel overseas.[34][35]
Congo were suspended on 6 February 2025 for government interference in Congolese Football Federation operations.[36][37] No announcement regarding their status was immediately available, and CAF initially cancelled their remaining matches.[38] The suspension was lifted by FIFA on 14 May 2025,[39] and Tanzania and Zambia were awarded 3β0 victories by forfeit.[40]
Format
Each confederation was responsible for its own qualification tournament, which consisted of at least one round of competition using the following formats (Regulations Article 11.3):[41]
- A double round-robin (or "league") format in which each team in a group played all other teams in their group twice β once at home and once away.
- A single round-robin format in which each team in a group played all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing associations.
- A knockout format in which each team in a round played one other team over two legs β once at home and once away.
- With FIFA's permission, a tournament held in one of the participating nations or in neutral territory.
- With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.
Tiebreakers
In the round-robin and tournament formats, the tiebreaker criteria were as follows (Regulations Article 11.5):[41]
- Greatest number of points obtained in all group matches (3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss)
- Greatest goal differential in all group matches
- Most goals scored in all group matches
Should two or more teams still have equal rank after criteria 1β3 were applied, then the following criteria were used:
- Greatest number of points obtained in all matches amongst the concerned teams
- Greatest goal differential in all matches amongst the concerned teams
- Most goals scored in all matches amongst the concerned teams
- Most goals scored away from home in all matches amongst the concerned teams
- The best team conduct score using the following table:
Only one score was applied to any player or team official in any match, e.g. a player who received a second yellow card would only have β3 points applied and not β4 (β1 for the first and β3 for the second).
- First yellow card: β1 point
- Second yellow card/indirect red card: β3 points
- Direct red card: β4 points
- Yellow card and direct red card: β5 points
- Drawing of lots by FIFA
If the tournament were held in a single host nation or in neutral territory, then criterion 7 would not be applied (Regulations Article 11.6).[41]
In the home-and-away knockout format, the team scoring more goals on aggregate won the tie and advanced. If the aggregate score were level, then 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If the score were still level at the end of extra time, the away goals rule would not be applied and the winners would be decided by a penalty shoot-out (Regulations Article 11.9).[41] In the single-leg knockout format, the team scoring more goals in a single match wins and advances. If the teams were tied after regulation, then extra time was played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the score was still level (Regulations Article 11.10).[41]
Confederation qualification
AFC
On 1 August 2022, the Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee approved the qualification format for Asia's road to the 2026 World Cup, as well as the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, in preparation for the eight direct spots and the single intercontinental play-off slot allocated to the AFC by FIFA following the expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams.[42] The draw for the first round was held on 27 July 2023 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[43] The draw for the second round took place two hours later.
The qualification structure was as follows:
- First round: Twenty teams (ranked 27β46) played home-and-away over two legs.[44] The ten winners advanced to the second round.
- Second round: Thirty-six teams (those ranked 1β26 and the ten first-round winners) were divided into nine groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The eighteen group winners and group runners-up advanced to the third round.
- Third round: The eighteen teams that advanced from the second round were divided into three groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group qualified for the World Cup, while the third-placed and fourth-placed teams of each group advanced to the fourth round.
- Fourth round: The six teams that advanced from the third round were drawn into two groups of three teams each to play a single round-robin. The winners qualified for the World Cup, and the runners-up advanced to the fifth round.
- Fifth round: The fourth round group runners-up competed in a two-legged play-off tie that determined the Asian representation at the inter-confederation play-offs.
Final positions (third round)
| Legend |
|---|
Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
|
Advanced to the fourth round
|
|
|
|
Final positions (fourth round)
| Legend |
|---|
Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
|
Advanced to the fifth round
|
|
|
Final positions (fifth round)
The winner advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates π Image | 2β3 | π Image Iraq | 1β1 | 1β2 |
CAF
The CAF Executive Committee announced a new African qualification format on 19 May 2023.[45][46] The draw was held on 13 July 2023 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.[47][48] All 54 FIFA-affiliated football associations from CAF entered qualification. Eritrea withdrew before matches began due to fears that players would seek political asylum abroad.[49][50]
The qualification structure was as follows:
- First round: Teams were drawn into nine groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The winner of each group qualified for the World Cup.
- Second round: The four best-ranked group runners-up participated in a play-off to determine which team would advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.
Final positions (first round)
| Legend |
|---|
Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
|
Advanced to the second round
|
Withdrew
|
Due to Eritrea's withdrawal from qualification resulting in differing group sizes, results from matches against sixth-place teams were discounted when ranking group runners-up.[65]
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | π Image Gabon |
8 | 19 |
| 2 | π Image DR Congo |
8 | 16 |
| 3 | π Image Cameroon |
8 | 15 |
| 4 | π Image Nigeria |
8 | 15 |
| 5 | π Image Burkina Faso |
8 | 15 |
| 6 | π Image Niger |
8 | 15 |
| 7 | π Image Madagascar |
8 | 13 |
| 8 | π Image Uganda |
8 | 12 |
| 9 | π Image Namibia |
8 | 9 |
Source: FIFA
Final positions (second round)
The teams were allocated into semi-finals based on their FIFA Men's World Ranking of 17 October 2025, with the highest-ranked side taking on the lowest and the second-highest taking on the third-highest.[66][67][68]
The winner advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.
| Semi-finals | Final | ||
| 13 November 2025 β Rabat (Hassan) | |||
| π Image Nigeria (a.e.t.) | 4 | ||
| 16 November 2025 β Rabat (Hassan) | |||
| π Image Gabon | 1 | ||
| π Image Nigeria | 1 (3) | ||
| 13 November 2025 β Rabat (Al Barid) | |||
| π Image DR Congo (p) | 1 (4) | ||
| π Image Cameroon | 0 | ||
| π Image DR Congo | 1 | ||
CONCACAF
Three teams in CONCACAFβCanada, Mexico and the United Statesβautomatically qualified as host nations. On 28 February 2023, CONCACAF announced the qualifying format for 2026 World Cup qualification.[69]
- First round: Four CONCACAF teams, ranked 29 to 32 based on the FIFA ranking of December 2023, were divided into two matchups to be played on a two-legged home-and-away basis. The two winners advanced to the second round.
- Second round: Thirty teams β the two winners from the first round and CONCACAF teams ranked 1 to 28 based on the FIFA ranking of December 2023 β were drawn into six groups of five teams. They played single round-robin matches (two home and two away), with group winners and runners-up advancing to the third round.
- Third round: The twelve teams that advanced from the second round were drawn into three groups of four teams. They played double round-robin home-and-away matches, with the three group winners qualifying for the World Cup. The two best-ranked runners-up advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.
Final positions (third round)
| Legend |
|---|
Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
|
Advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs
|
Source: FIFA
|
Source: FIFA
|
Source: FIFA
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | π Image Jamaica |
6 | 11 |
| 2 | π Image Suriname |
6 | 9 |
| 3 | π Image Honduras |
6 | 9 |
Source: FIFA
CONMEBOL
On 22 August 2022, CONMEBOL petitioned FIFA to keep the qualification format which had been used since the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification, where all CONMEBOL members play home-and-away round-robin matches against each other.[70][71][72][73] This was approved, with the first games of the qualifiers played in September 2023.[74]
Before the qualification competition began, Ecuador were penalized 3 points for using falsified birth documents for Byron Castillo in the previous World Cup qualification cycle.[75]
Final positions
| Legend |
|---|
Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
|
Advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | π Image Argentina |
18 | 38 |
| 2 | π Image Ecuador |
18 | 29 |
| 3 | π Image Colombia |
18 | 28 |
| 4 | π Image Uruguay |
18 | 28 |
| 5 | π Image Brazil |
18 | 28 |
| 6 | π Image Paraguay |
18 | 28 |
| 7 | π Image Bolivia |
18 | 20 |
| 8 | π Image Venezuela |
18 | 18 |
| 9 | π Image Peru |
18 | 12 |
| 10 | π Image Chile |
18 | 11 |
Source: FIFA
OFC
The 2026 World Cup marked the first time OFC was granted one guaranteed slot, as well as a possible second slot via the inter-confederation play-offs.
The qualification structure was as follows:[76]
- First round: The four lowest-ranked teams played a three-match knockout round in September 2024. The winner, Samoa, advanced to the second round.
- Second round: The winning team from the first round joined the seven highest-ranked teams in two four-team groups in October and November 2024. The top two teams from each group advanced to the third round.
- Third round: The four teams advancing from the second round played a three-match knockout round in March 2025. The winner, New Zealand, qualified for the World Cup, and the runner-up, New Caledonia, advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.
Final positions (third round)
The winner qualified for the World Cup, while the runner-up advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.
| Semi-finals | Final | ||
| 21 March 2025 β Wellington | |||
| π Image New Caledonia | 3 | ||
| 24 March 2025 β Auckland | |||
| π Image Tahiti | 0 | ||
| π Image New Caledonia | 0 | ||
| 21 March 2025 β Wellington | |||
| π Image New Zealand | 3 | ||
| π Image New Zealand | 7 | ||
| π Image Fiji | 0 | ||
UEFA
The UEFA Executive Committee announced a new European qualification format on 25 January 2023. Teams were drawn into twelve groups of four or five teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches from March to November 2025. The group winners qualified for the World Cup, while the runners-up will participate in play-off matches,[77] for a total of 16 teams qualifying for the finals.
The qualification draw took place on 13 December 2024 in ZΓΌrich, Switzerland.[78] Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's national team was suspended, and their exclusion was confirmed in a circular distributed by UEFA on 11 November 2024.[79]
- First round (group stage): Twelve groups of either four or five teams were drawn, with group winners qualifying for the World Cup.
- Second round (play-off): Sixteen teams (twelve group runners-up and the four best Nations League group winners, based on the 2024β25 Nations League overall ranking, that finished outside the top two of their qualifying group) were drawn into four play-off paths, playing two rounds of single-match play-offs (semi-finals with the seeded teams hosting, followed by finals, with the home teams drawn from the semi-final pairings). The four path winners qualified for the World Cup.[80]
Final positions (first round)
| Legend |
|---|
Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
|
Advanced to the second round
|
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Final positions (second round)
The winners of each path qualified for the World Cup.
Path A
| Semi-finals | Final | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Cardiff | |||
| π Image Wales | 1 (2) | ||
| 31 March 2026 β Zenica | |||
| π Image Bosnia and Herzegovina (p) | 1 (4) | ||
| π Image Bosnia and Herzegovina (p) | 1 (4) | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Bergamo | |||
| π Image Italy | 1 (1) | ||
| π Image Italy | 2 | ||
| π Image Northern Ireland | 0 | ||
Path B
| Semi-finals | Final | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Valencia | |||
| π Image Ukraine | 1 | ||
| 31 March 2026 β Solna | |||
| π Image Sweden | 3 | ||
| π Image Sweden | 3 | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Warsaw | |||
| π Image Poland | 2 | ||
| π Image Poland | 2 | ||
| π Image Albania | 1 | ||
Path C
| Semi-finals | Final | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Bratislava | |||
| π Image Slovakia | 3 | ||
| 31 March 2026 β Pristina | |||
| π Image Kosovo | 4 | ||
| π Image Kosovo | 0 | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Istanbul | |||
| π Image Turkey | 1 | ||
| π Image Turkey | 1 | ||
| π Image Romania | 0 | ||
Path D
| Semi-finals | Final | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Prague | |||
| π Image Czech Republic (p) | 2 (4) | ||
| 31 March 2026 β Prague | |||
| π Image Republic of Ireland | 2 (3) | ||
| π Image Czech Republic (p) | 2 (3) | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Copenhagen | |||
| π Image Denmark | 2 (1) | ||
| π Image Denmark | 4 | ||
| π Image North Macedonia | 0 | ||
Inter-confederation play-offs
A play-off tournament involving six teams β one each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC and two from CONCACAF β was held to decide two FIFA World Cup berths. The bottom four teams in the November 2025 FIFA World Rankings were drawn into two single-elimination matches. The winners of those matches advanced to play the top two teams in a further round of single-elimination matches, and the winners qualified for the World Cup. The play-offs were held in March 2026 in Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico.[81]
| Semi-final | Final | ||
| 31 March 2026 β Zapopan | |||
| π Image DR Congo (a.e.t.) | 1 | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Zapopan | |||
| π Image Jamaica | 0 | ||
| π Image New Caledonia | 0 | ||
| π Image Jamaica | 1 | ||
| Semi-final | Final | ||
| 31 March 2026 β Guadalupe | |||
| π Image Iraq | 2 | ||
| 26 March 2026 β Guadalupe | |||
| π Image Bolivia | 1 | ||
| π Image Bolivia | 2 | ||
| π Image Suriname | 1 | ||
Top goalscorers
There were 2,527 goals scored in 899 matches, for an average of 2.81 goals per match.
16 goals
12 goals
10 goals
9 goals
8 goals
- π Argentina
Lionel Messi - π Austria
Marko ArnautoviΔ - π Bolivia
Miguel Terceros - π England
Harry Kane - π Gabon
Denis Bouanga - π Iran
Sardar Azmoun - π Japan
Ayase Ueda - π Jordan
Yazan Al-Naimat - π Mali
Kamory Doumbia - π Netherlands
Memphis Depay - π Nigeria
Victor Osimhen - π United Arab Emirates
FΓ‘bio Lima
Below are goalscorer lists for all confederations and the inter-confederation play-offs:
See also
Notes
- ^ Curaçao is the smallest country by area and the least populous to qualify for the World Cup. Excluding teams from the United Kingdom, Curaçao is also the first team representing a non-sovereign nation to qualify for the World Cup since the Dutch East Indies (currently Indonesia) in 1938.
- ^ Until 1991, Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union, which competed at seven World Cup tournaments. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan will become the third former Soviet republic to compete as an independent nation after Russia (1994, 2002, 2014 and 2018) and Ukraine (2006). FIFA considers Russia to be the successor team of the Soviet Union.
- ^ From 1970 to 1998, DR Congo competed as Zaire. This will be the first time the country competes under DR Congo.
- ^ Until 1992, the Czech Republic was part of Czechoslovakia, which competed in eight World Cup tournaments. Following its dissolution, the Czech Republic has qualified for the tournament for the second time as an independent nation, having previously debuted in 2006.
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