The road to the return of the biggest FIFA World Cup in 2026 is long overdue with all the Six Continental configurations. The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers are underway, with teams around the globe competing for a coveted spot in the expanded 48-team tournament scheduled to take place across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is still more than a year away, and three 3 teams are booked to Secure a Spot as hosts – Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The 2026 World Cup marks the first time the tournament will feature 48 teams. After the revamped World Cup format, for the first time, 9 African, 6 South American, 8 Asian, 6 North, Central America, and the Caribbean including host teams and 16 European teams are guaranteed to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification Process Overview
- AFC: 8 direct slots
- CAF: 9 direct slots
- CONCACAF (North, Central America, and Caribbean): 6 direct slots (including automatic qualifications for hosts Canada, Mexico, and the USA)
- CONMEBOL (South America): 6 direct slots
- OFC: 1 direct slot
- UEFA: 16 direct slots
Which Teams Can Secure a Spot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
- From the AFC – 20 March onwards
- Japan, Iran and South Korea are in a position to advance to the 2026 World Cup.
- From the CAF – 17 March onwards
- Egypt, Morocco, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Tunisia might advance to the next stage
- From the CONCACAF – 4 June onwards
- USMNT, Canada and Mexico have qualified
- for the CONMEBOL – 20 March onwards
- Argentina and Uruguay are much more secure
- OFC – 21 March onwards
- New Zealand or Fiji & New Caledonia & Tahiti face off on March 24
- The UEFA qualification stage just begins on 21 March
