Which countries have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup, which is taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, begins on June 11 next year. It will be the 23rd edition of the tournament and the first with 48 countries competing.

Qualification around the globe is nearing completion as teams battle to reach the world’s biggest sporting event.

Which countries have already secured their spot in North America next summer? How many places are awarded to each continental confederation? How far into the qualification process are those six regions?

Here is The Athletic’s guide to the state of play, which will be updated as qualification progresses.

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How many teams from each confederation will be at the World Cup?

Here are the six confederations — which represent every FIFA-recognised country in the world — and how many places each has been allocated at the tournament:

AFC (Asia): Eight direct places and one team will compete in the inter-confederation play-offs.

CAF (Africa): Nine direct places and one team will compete in the inter-confederation play-offs.

CONCACAF (North America, Central America & Caribbean): Three direct places and two teams will compete in the inter-confederation play-offs. This excludes hosts United States, Canada and Mexico, who all automatically qualified as co-hosts.

CONMEBOL (South America): Six direct places and one team will compete in the inter-confederation play-offs.

OFC (Oceania): One direct place and one team will compete in the inter-confederation play-offs.

UEFA (Europe): Sixteen direct places.

The inter-confederation play-offs, which are set to take place in March 2026, will involve six teams, and two of them will advance to the World Cup. Oceania’s New Caledonia and South America’s Bolivia are the only sides guaranteed to be competing in the play-offs right now.

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Which countries have qualified?

United States (North America)

Previous World Cup appearances: 11
Best performance: Third place in 1930
Head coach: Mauricio Pochettino

The United States are hosting the World Cup for the second time — the first was in 1994 — and under former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino will be desperate to perform well. They qualified automatically as co-hosts.

USMNT haven’t got past the round of 16 since 2002 and only once have they reached the semi-finals — in the inaugural competition in 1930 when they were knocked out by Argentina.

Canada (North America)

Previous World Cup appearances: Two
Best performance: Group stage in 1986 & 2022
Head coach: Jesse Marsch

The Canadians are playing at back-to-back World Cups for the first time and under former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch will be aiming for a maiden appearance in the knockout stage. They qualified automatically as co-hosts.

Mexico (North America)

Previous World Cup appearances: 17
Best performance: Quarter-finals in 1970 & 1986
Head coach: Javier Aguirre

Mexico are hosting the men’s World Cup for a record third time, after previously doing so in 1970 and 1986. Like USMNT and Canada, they qualified automatically.

The Mexicans haven’t made the quarter-finals of the tournament since 1986 and were knocked out in the round of 16 at seven World Cups in a row from 1994 to 2018.

However, they are the reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup and CONCACAF Nations League champions and, on paper, they are the strongest of the three host nations.

Japan (Asia)

Previous World Cup appearances: Seven
Best performance: Round of 16 in 2002, 2010, 2018 & 2022
Head coach: Hajime Moriyasu

Japan became the first country, other than the three host nations, to qualify for the World Cup with their 2-0 victory over Bahrain on March 20, 2025. It will be their eighth consecutive appearance at the tournament.

Ayase Ueda was Japan’s top scorer in qualifying, with the 27-year-old Feyenoord striker finding the net eight times.

New Zealand (Oceania)

Previous World Cup appearances: Two
Best performance: Group stage in 1982 & 2010
Head coach: Darren Bazeley

New Zealand are back at the World Cup for the first time since 2010, where they were eliminated in the group stage after drawing all three of their games.

This is the first World Cup where Oceania is guaranteed a spot at the tournament, and given Australia qualify in the Asian section, it was always likely that New Zealand would be in North America next summer.

The ‘All Whites’ breezed through qualifying, winning all three of their group games by an aggregate scoreline of 19-1. They then beat Fiji 7-0 in the semi-finals on March 21 before defeating New Caledonia 3-0 in the final on March 24, 2025 to book their place at the World Cup.

Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood, who played at the 2010 World Cup, was New Zealand’s top scorer in qualifying with nine goals.

Iran (Asia)

Previous World Cup appearances: Six
Best performance: Group Stage in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 & 2022
Head coach: Amir Ghalenoei

Iran reached their fourth World Cup in a row with two games to spare after securing their place in North America with a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan on March 25, 2025.

Olympiacos’ Mehdi Taremi was their top scorer with 10 goals.

Argentina (South America)

Previous World Cup appearances: 18
Best performance: Winners in 1978, 1986 & 2022
Head coach: Lionel Scaloni

The defending champions qualified with ease and will be among the favourites next summer. They secured their place at the tournament on March 25, 2025.

Lionel Messi will be confident of playing at a record-breaking sixth World Cup (Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is also on five) and perhaps of also becoming the tournament’s all-time top scorer — he currently trails Germany’s Miroslav Klose by three goals.

As well as their triumph in Qatar in 2022, Argentina also won Copa America in 2021 and 2024 — meaning the last major tournament they played in and didn’t win was the 2019 edition of South America’s continental championship.

Only Brazil (22) and Germany/West Germany (20) have played at more World Cups than Argentina.

Uzbekistan (Asia)

Previous World Cup appearances: 0
Best performance: N/A
Head coach: Fabio Cannavaro

Uzbekistan became the first team who had never played at the World Cup before to qualify for the 2026 edition with their draw against United Arab Emirates on June 5, 2025.

As well as being the first double-landlocked country to ever reach the World Cup, they are also just the second former Soviet Republic (excluding Russia) to do so; after Ukraine in 2006.

Manchester City centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov is their star player and though he has played in defence so far in qualifying it would not be a surprise to see him operating higher up the pitch at the tournament next summer.

Uzbekistan qualified with a game to spare.

South Korea (Asia)

Previous World Cup appearances: 11
Best performance: Fourth place in 2002
Head coach: Hong Myung-bo

South Korea have now reached every World Cup from 1986 onwards, with their surprise run to the semi-finals as co-hosts in 2002 the only time they have gone beyond the round of 16 in this time.

Son Heung-min is closing in on both the outright all-time caps and goals records for South Korea and even though he will be almost 34 when the tournament starts, a lot of the Asian nation’s hopes will rest on his shoulders. He scored 10 goals in qualifying.

South Korea were knocked out in the round of 16 by Brazil at the 2022 World Cup and will be hoping to improve on this in the United States, Canada and Mexico after qualifying on June 5, 2025 with a game to spare.

Jordan (Asia)

Previous World Cup appearances: 0
Best performance: N/A
Head coach: Jamal Sellami

Jordan became the second debutants to reach the 2026 World Cup, securing their place on June 5, 2025 (two hours after Uzbekistan) with a game to spare.

The 25-year-old Ali Olwan was their top scorer in qualifying with nine goals.

Jordan finished as runners-up at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, losing the final to Qatar after stunning South Korea in the semi-finals.

Australia (Asia)

Previous World Cup appearances: Six
Best performance: Round of 16 in 2006 & 2022
Head coach: Tony Popovic

Australia, who qualify in the Asian section, have now reached every World Cup from 2006 onwards.

An impressive 1-0 victory over Japan in Perth on June 5, 2025 put them on the brink and their 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia on June 10 secured their spot at the tournament next summer.

Kusini Yengi, who has just spent two seasons at English club Portsmouth, was Australia’s top scorer in qualifying with six goals.

Brazil (South America)

Previous World Cup appearances: 22
Best performance: Winners in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 & 2002
Head coach: Carlo Ancelotti

Next summer, Brazil will maintain their record of playing at every World Cup — the only country to do so.

After a mixed qualification campaign, the five-time champions secured their place at the tournament with a 1-0 win over Paraguay on June 10, 2025.

It was Carlo Ancelotti’s second match as Brazil’s head coach and the Italian will be desperate to add the World Cup to his glittering C.V.

Ecuador (South America)

Previous World Cup appearances: Four
Best performance: Round of 16 in 2006
Head coach: Sebastian Beccacece

Ecuador qualified for the World Cup after a 0-0 draw with Peru on June 10, 2025.

Ecuador’s qualification is all the more impressive given they were deducted three points before any of the games got underway due to fielding an ineligible player in the 2022 qualifiers.

Uruguay (South America)

Previous World Cup appearances: 14
Best performance: Winners in 1930 & 1950
Head coach: Marcelo Bielsa

The winners of the first World Cup will be playing at their fifth consecutive edition of the tournament, the first time they have achieved this.

They will be looking to improve on a disappointing showing in 2022 when they were knocked out in the group stage.

Paraguay (South America)

Previous World Cup appearances: 8
Best performance: Quarter-finals in 2010
Head coach: Gustavo Alfaro

Paraguay have qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2010 after a hard-fought qualifying campaign in South America.

They were edged out by eventual winners Spain in the last eight at that tournament 15 years ago, and will be hoping to make a similar mark at next summer’s edition.

Colombia (South America)

Previous World Cup appearances: 6
Best performance: Quarter-finals in 2014
Head coach: Nestor Lorenzo

Colombia are back after missing out on the 2022 World Cup. The nation’s record appearance-maker, goalkeeper David Ospina, is still in the squad and the same is true of James Rodriguez — the winner of the Golden Boot at the 2014 tournament.

Morocco (Africa)

Previous World Cup appearances: 6
Best performance: Fourth place in 2022
Head coach: Walid Regragui

In 2022, Morocco became the first African side to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup after winning their group and then getting past Spain in the round of 16 and Portugal in the quarter-finals.

They lost to France in the last four and to Croatia in the third-place play-off.

Before next summer’s tournament, the country will host the Africa Cup of Nations across December 2025 and January 2026.

Tunisia (Africa)

Previous World Cup appearances: 6
Best performance: Group stage in 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018 & 2022
Head coach: Sami Trabelsi

Tunisia have qualified for their third World Cup in a row and will be desperate to make it out of the group stage for the first time in their history.

Egypt (Africa)

Previous World Cup appearances: Three
Best performance: Round of 16 in 1934 & Group stage in 1990 & 2018
Head coach: Hossam Hassan

Mohamed Salah’s Egypt are back at the World Cup after missing out in 2022. They were eliminated in the group stage in 1990 and 2018 and the round of 16 in 1934. The latter of those tournaments was a straight knockout competition and the round of 16 was the first round, hence the country’s best performance being listed above as a tie between all three of the editions they have played at.

Salah is chasing down his country’s all-time goalscoring record, which is currently held by the team’s head coach, Hossam Hassan.

Algeria (Africa)

Previous World Cup appearances: Four
Best performance: Round of 16 in 2014
Head coach: Vladimir Petkovic

As expected, Algeria have qualified from a group containing Mozambique, Botswana, Uganda, Guinea and Somalia.

The biggest country in Africa by size, their star man is former Leicester City and Manchester City player Riyad Mahrez; who is closing in on the nation’s all-time appearance record.

Ghana (Africa)

Previous World Cup appearances: Four
Best performance: Quarter-finals in 2010
Head coach: Otto Addo

With the exception of 2018, Ghana have now qualified for every World Cup from 2006 onwards. Their best showing, in 2010, saw them agonisingly knocked out by Uruguay in the last eight after a penalty shootout which followed Luis Suarez’s goal-line handball.

Cape Verde (Africa)

Previous World Cup appearances: 0
Best performance: N/A
Head coach: Bubista

Cape Verde became the third debutants to qualify for the 2026 World Cup following their victory over Eswatini on October 13, 2025.

They saw off Cameroon, the first African side to reach the World Cup quarter-finals (in 1990), to claim top spot in their group.

The country is the smallest by area to ever qualify for the World Cup.

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What stage of qualification is each confederation at?

AFC (Asia): Three of the five rounds have been completed. Six sides have qualified automatically and the six next-best placed teams are playing in the fourth round which begins in October.

CAF (Africa): The first round, with the nine group winners qualifying automatically when this stage ends in October.

CONCACAF (North America): The first two stages have been completed, with 12 teams now contesting the third round of qualification which began in September. This round sees those sides split into three groups of four, with the winner of each qualifying for the World Cup.

CONMEBOL (South America): It has finished, with the 10-team group containing all of the confederation’s members now completed. All the sides played each other home and away and the top six sides qualified automatically. Bolivia will compete in the inter-confederation play-offs.

OFC (Oceania): It has finished, with New Zealand qualifying. New Caledonia will compete in the inter-confederation play-offs.

UEFA (Europe): It began in March, when six of the 12 groups got underway. The other six groups began in September. The final games in all of them will be played in November.