2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

The FIFA World Cup, football's most prestigious tournament, is expanding to an unprecedented 48 teams for its 2026 edition, making the qualification journey more expansive and competitive than ever before. This global spectacle, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, requires a complex series of matches across six confederations to determine the 45 nations that will join them. Get ready to dive into the intricate pathways teams must navigate to earn their place on the world stage. The 2026 World Cup's expansion to 48 teams has fundamentally reshaped the qualification process and slot allocation across all confederations. For the first time in history, every FIFA confederation is guaranteed at least one direct spot, a significant milestone for global football inclusivity. The qualification involves diverse formats, from traditional round-robin leagues to multi-stage knockout tournaments, culminating in inter-confederation play-offs for the final berths.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

The 2026 World Cup's expansion to 48 teams has fundamentally reshaped the qualification process and slot allocation across all confederations.
For the first time in history, every FIFA confederation is guaranteed at least one direct spot, a significant milestone for global football inclusivity.
The qualification involves diverse formats, from traditional round-robin leagues to multi-stage knockout tournaments, culminating in inter-confederation play-offs for the final berths.

The Road to 2026 Begins

The journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is already underway, a colossal undertaking designed to identify the 45 national teams that will join the three host nations—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—in football's ultimate global showcase. This expanded tournament promises more drama and more teams vying for glory than ever before.

The first whistle blew on September 7, 2023, as three matches kicked off in the CONMEBOL zone, marking the official start of qualification. It wasn't long before history was made: Colombia's Rafael Santos Borré netted the very first goal of this qualification series, finding the back of the net against Venezuela.

A New Era of Allocation

The decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams necessitated a complete overhaul of how qualification slots are distributed. On March 30, 2017, the Bureau of the FIFA Council, comprising the FIFA president and the heads of each of the six confederations, unveiled its proposed slot allocation.

This recommendation received official approval from the full FIFA Council on May 9, 2017, during a crucial meeting in Manama, Bahrain. This new structure not only increased direct qualification spots but also introduced an intercontinental play-off tournament involving six teams, battling for the final two World Cup berths.

One of the most historic outcomes of this new allocation is the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) receiving a guaranteed direct berth for the first time ever. This means the 2026 tournament will be truly global, as all six confederations will have at least one guaranteed representative in the final competition.

The Qualified Few (So Far)

As host nations, Canada, Mexico, and the United States were the first teams to secure their places, automatically qualifying on February 14, 2023. Other nations will slowly but surely join them as the qualification campaigns unfold across the globe. This table shows projected qualifications for some of the world's top teams, based on the current standings and expected outcomes.

Team	Method of qualification	Date of qualification	Total times qualified	Last time qualified	Current consecutive appearances	Previous best performance
Canada	Hosts	14 February 2023	3	2022	2	Group stage (1986, 2022)
Mexico	Hosts	14 February 2023	18	2022	9	Quarter-finals (1970, 1986)
United States	Hosts	14 February 2023	12	2022	2	Third place (1930)
Japan	AFC third round Group C winners	20 March 2025	8	2022	8	Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022)
New Zealand	OFC third round winners	24 March 2025	3	2010	1	Group stage (1982, 2010)
Iran	AFC third round Group A winners	25 March 2025	7	2022	4	Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022)
Argentina	CONMEBOL winners	25 March 2025	19	2022	14	Winners (1978, 1986, 2022)
Uzbekistan	AFC third round Group A runners-up	5 June 2025	1	—	1	—
South Korea	AFC third round Group B winners	5 June 2025	12	2022	11	Fourth place (2002)
Jordan	AFC third round Group B runners-up	5 June 2025	1	—	1	—
Australia	AFC third round Group C runners-up	10 June 2025	7	2022	6	Round of 16 (2006, 2022)
Brazil	CONMEBOL top six	10 June 2025	23	2022	23	Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
Ecuador	CONMEBOL top six	10 June 2025	5	2022	2	Round of 16 (2006)

The Qualification Process: A Global Overview

With the 48-team format approved, FIFA tasked each confederation with developing its own unique qualification tournament. This means the path to the World Cup looks different depending on which continent a team hails from. However, all formats adhere to core principles defined by FIFA.

Summary of Slots and Progress

Here's a snapshot of the direct and play-off slots allocated to each confederation, alongside the current progress of their respective qualification campaigns. This table highlights the sheer scale of the global effort to fill those 48 coveted spots.

Confederation	Direct slots	Play-off slots	Teams started	Teams eliminated	Teams can still qualify	Teams qualified	Qualifying start date	Qualifying next match date	Qualifying end date
AFC	8	1	46	34	6	6	12 October 2023	8 October 2025	18 November 2025
CAF	9	1	53	4	49	0	15 November 2023	September 2025	November 2025
CONCACAF	3+3 (hosts)	2	32+3 (hosts)	20	12	0+3	22 March 2024	4 September 2025	18 November 2025
CONMEBOL	6	1	10	1	6	3	7 September 2023	4 September 2025	9 September 2025
OFC	1	1	11	9	1	1	6 September 2024	—	24 March 2025
UEFA	16	0	54	0	54	0	21 March 2025	4 September 2025	31 March 2026
Play-offs	2	—	(6)	0	(6)	0	March 2026	March 2026	March 2026
Total	45+3 (hosts)	6	206+3 (hosts)	68	128	10+3	7 September 2023	4 September 2025	31 March 2026

The Unforeseen Obstacles: Suspensions and Withdrawals

Beyond on-field competition, the qualification process has seen its share of external challenges. Russia, for instance, remains indefinitely suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions since February 28, 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine, confirming their exclusion from the 2026 World Cup.

Eritrea also withdrew from qualification before playing any matches, reportedly due to concerns that its players might seek political asylum if allowed to travel overseas—a poignant reminder of the broader geopolitical context that can impact even sporting events.

Congo faced a suspension on February 6, 2025, owing to government interference in their national football federation. Initially, their remaining matches were cancelled, with forfeits awarded to opponents. However, FIFA eventually lifted the suspension, allowing Congo to resume their qualification campaign later in the year.

Qualification Formats: A Toolbox of Competition

FIFA regulations outline several acceptable formats that confederations can use for their qualification tournaments, ensuring flexibility while maintaining competitive integrity. These formats cater to varying numbers of teams and regional logistical considerations.

A double round-robin, where each team plays every other team in their group twice (home and away). A single round-robin, with all teams playing once, either at randomly drawn venues or assigned by the confederation. A knockout format, where teams play two legs (home and away) to advance. A tournament held in a single host nation or neutral territory, requiring FIFA's permission. A single-leg knockout format, also requiring FIFA's permission.

Deciding Tiebreakers

In group stage formats, several criteria are used to separate teams that finish with equal points. These often include goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head records. For knockout matches, if teams are level on aggregate after two legs, extra time is played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if necessary; the away goals rule is explicitly not applied.

Confederation-Specific Journeys

Asia (AFC): Eight Direct Spots, One Play-off Spot

The Asian Football Confederation approved its qualification format on August 1, 2022, preparing for its generous allocation of eight direct spots and one intercontinental play-off slot. The process is a multi-stage marathon designed to test endurance and skill.

The AFC journey begins with preliminary rounds, moving through groups of four, then groups of six, before splitting into smaller groups for direct qualification. Teams that finish third or fourth in the third round get a lifeline, advancing to further play-off rounds within Asia to contend for the remaining direct and inter-confederation spots.

AFC Third Round Standings

Here are the final standings for the AFC's third round, where the top two teams from each group secured direct qualification to the World Cup, and the third and fourth-placed teams advanced to the fourth round.

Pos	Team	Pld	Pts
1	Iran	10	23
2	Uzbekistan	10	21
3	United Arab Emirates	10	15
4	Qatar	10	13
5	Kyrgyzstan	10	8
6	North Korea	10	3

Pos	Team	Pld	Pts
1	South Korea	10	22
2	Jordan	10	16
3	Iraq	10	15
4	Oman	10	11
5	Palestine	10	10
6	Kuwait	10	5

Pos	Team	Pld	Pts
1	Japan	10	23
2	Australia	10	19
3	Saudi Arabia	10	13
4	Indonesia	10	12
5	China	10	9
6	Bahrain	10	6

AFC Fourth Round Overview

The six teams that advanced to the fourth round are now divided into two groups of three, set to play a single round-robin. The winners of these groups will qualify for the World Cup, while the runners-up will proceed to the fifth round.

Pos	Team	Pld	Pts
1	Qatar (H)	0	0
2	United Arab Emirates	0	0
3	Oman	0	0

Pos	Team	Pld	Pts
1	Saudi Arabia (H)	0	0
2	Iraq	0	0
3	Indonesia	0	0

Africa (CAF): Nine Direct Slots, One Play-off Spot

Africa's qualification pathway was revamped and announced on May 19, 2023. All 54 FIFA-affiliated CAF associations entered, though Eritrea's withdrawal and Congo's temporary suspension added unexpected twists to the early stages.

The CAF qualification features a single round of competition: teams are drawn into nine groups of six, playing home-and-away round-robin matches. The winner of each group earns an automatic spot at the World Cup. The four best-ranked group runners-up will then compete in a play-off to determine Africa's representative for the inter-confederation play-offs.

CAF Group Runners-up Standings

With only the group winners directly qualifying, the competition for the four play-off spots among the runners-up is intense. This table shows the current ranking of group runners-up, critical for advancing to the second round of CAF play-offs.

Pos	Team	Pld	Pts
1	Gabon	6	15
2	Cameroon	6	12
3	Senegal	6	12
4	Namibia	6	12
5	Comoros	6	12
6	Mozambique	6	12
7	Burkina Faso	6	11
8	Tanzania	5	9
9	Rwanda	6	8

North, Central America, and Caribbean (CONCACAF): Three Direct Slots (plus hosts), Two Play-off Spots

With Canada, Mexico, and the United States already qualified as hosts, CONCACAF has three additional direct qualification spots and two inter-confederation play-off berths up for grabs. The confederation announced its format on February 28, 2023, featuring three distinct rounds.

Article

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

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. The first goal of the qualification series was scored by Colombian player Rafael Santos Borré against Venezuela. 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 with a population of just 158,000, 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.

Slot allocation

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

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 ratification by the FIFA Council.

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.

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 became the first tournament in which all six confederations had at least one guaranteed berth.

Qualified teams

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Team qualified Team eliminated Team withdrew or suspended Not a FIFA member

<table><thead><tr><th>Team</th><th>Method of qualification</th><th>Date of qualification</th><th>Total times qualified</th><th>Last time qualified</th><th>Current consecutive appearances</th><th>Previous best performance</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th> Canada</th><td>Hosts</td><td>14 February 2023</td><td>3</td><td>2022</td><td>2</td><td>Group stage (1986, 2022)</td></tr><tr><th> Mexico</th><td>Hosts</td><td>14 February 2023</td><td>18</td><td>2022</td><td>9</td><td>Quarter-finals (1970, 1986)</td></tr><tr><th> United States</th><td>Hosts</td><td>14 February 2023</td><td>12</td><td>2022</td><td>2</td><td>Third place (1930)</td></tr><tr><th> Japan</th><td>AFC third round Group C winners</td><td>20 March 2025</td><td>8</td><td>2022</td><td>8</td><td>Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022)</td></tr><tr><th> New Zealand</th><td>OFC third round winners</td><td>24 March 2025</td><td>3</td><td>2010</td><td>1</td><td>Group stage (1982, 2010)</td></tr><tr><th> Iran</th><td>AFC third round Group A winners</td><td>25 March 2025</td><td>7</td><td>2022</td><td>4</td><td>Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022)</td></tr><tr><th> Argentina</th><td>CONMEBOL winners</td><td>25 March 2025</td><td>19</td><td>2022</td><td>14</td><td>Winners (1978, 1986, 2022)</td></tr><tr><th> Uzbekistan</th><td>AFC third round Group A runners-up</td><td>5 June 2025</td><td>1</td><td>—N/a</td><td>1</td><td>—N/a</td></tr><tr><th> Jordan</th><td>AFC third round Group B runners-up</td><td>5 June 2025</td><td>1</td><td>—N/a</td><td>1</td><td>—N/a</td></tr><tr><th> South Korea</th><td>AFC third round Group B winners</td><td>5 June 2025</td><td>12</td><td>2022</td><td>11</td><td>Fourth place (2002)</td></tr><tr><th> Australia</th><td>AFC third round Group C runners-up</td><td>10 June 2025</td><td>7</td><td>2022</td><td>6</td><td>Round of 16 (2006, 2022)</td></tr><tr><th> Brazil</th><td>CONMEBOL fifth place</td><td>10 June 2025</td><td>23</td><td>2022</td><td>23</td><td>Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)</td></tr><tr><th> Ecuador</th><td>CONMEBOL runners-up</td><td>10 June 2025</td><td>5</td><td>2022</td><td>2</td><td>Round of 16 (2006)</td></tr><tr><th> Paraguay</th><td>CONMEBOL sixth place</td><td>4 September 2025</td><td>9</td><td>2010</td><td>1</td><td>Quarter-finals (2010)</td></tr><tr><th> Uruguay</th><td>CONMEBOL fourth place</td><td>4 September 2025</td><td>15</td><td>2022</td><td>5</td><td>Winners (1930, 1950)</td></tr><tr><th> Colombia</th><td>CONMEBOL third place</td><td>4 September 2025</td><td>7</td><td>2018</td><td>1</td><td>Quarter-finals (2014)</td></tr><tr><th> Morocco</th><td>CAF Group E winners</td><td>5 September 2025</td><td>7</td><td>2022</td><td>3</td><td>Fourth place (2022)</td></tr><tr><th> Tunisia</th><td>CAF Group H winners</td><td>8 September 2025</td><td>7</td><td>2022</td><td>3</td><td>Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022)</td></tr><tr><th> Egypt</th><td>CAF Group A winners</td><td>8 October 2025</td><td>4</td><td>2018</td><td>1</td><td>First round (1934), group stage (1990, 2018)</td></tr><tr><th> Algeria</th><td>CAF Group G winners</td><td>9 October 2025</td><td>5</td><td>2014</td><td>1</td><td>Round of 16 (2014)</td></tr><tr><th> Ghana</th><td>CAF Group I winners</td><td>12 October 2025</td><td>5</td><td>2022</td><td>2</td><td>Quarter-finals (2010)</td></tr><tr><th> Cape Verde</th><td>CAF Group D winners</td><td>13 October 2025</td><td>1</td><td>—N/a</td><td>1</td><td>—N/a</td></tr><tr><th> Qatar</th><td>AFC fourth round Group A winners</td><td>14 October 2025</td><td>2</td><td>2022</td><td>2</td><td>Group stage (2022)</td></tr><tr><th> Saudi Arabia</th><td>AFC fourth round Group B winners</td><td>14 October 2025</td><td>7</td><td>2022</td><td>3</td><td>Round of 16 (1994)</td></tr><tr><th> Senegal</th><td>CAF Group B winners</td><td>14 October 2025</td><td>4</td><td>2022</td><td>3</td><td>Quarter-finals (2002)</td></tr><tr><th> South Africa</th><td>CAF Group C winners</td><td>14 October 2025</td><td>4</td><td>2010</td><td>1</td><td>Group stage (1998, 2002, 2010)</td></tr><tr><th> Ivory Coast</th><td>CAF Group F winners</td><td>14 October 2025</td><td>4</td><td>2014</td><td>1</td><td>Group stage (2006, 2010, 2014)</td></tr><tr><th> England</th><td>UEFA Group K winners</td><td>14 October 2025</td><td>17</td><td>2022</td><td>8</td><td>Winners (1966)</td></tr><tr><th> France</th><td>UEFA Group D winners</td><td>13 November 2025</td><td>17</td><td>2022</td><td>8</td><td>Winners (1998, 2018)</td></tr><tr><th> Croatia</th><td>UEFA Group L winners</td><td>14 November 2025</td><td>7</td><td>2022</td><td>4</td><td>Runners-up (2018)</td></tr><tr><th> Portugal</th><td>UEFA Group F winners</td><td>16 November 2025</td><td>9</td><td>2022</td><td>7</td><td>Third place (1966)</td></tr><tr><th> Norway</th><td>UEFA Group I winners</td><td>16 November 2025</td><td>4</td><td>1998</td><td>1</td><td>Round of 16 (1998)</td></tr><tr><th> Germany</th><td>UEFA Group A winners</td><td>17 November 2025</td><td>21</td><td>2022</td><td>19</td><td>Winners (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)</td></tr><tr><th> Netherlands</th><td>UEFA Group G winners</td><td>17 November 2025</td><td>12</td><td>2022</td><td>2</td><td>Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010)</td></tr><tr><th> Switzerland</th><td>UEFA Group B winners</td><td>18 November 2025</td><td>13</td><td>2022</td><td>6</td><td>Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954)</td></tr><tr><th> Scotland</th><td>UEFA Group C winners</td><td>18 November 2025</td><td>10</td><td>1998</td><td>1</td><td>Group stage (1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998)</td></tr><tr><th> Spain</th><td>UEFA Group E winners</td><td>18 November 2025</td><td>17</td><td>2022</td><td>13</td><td>Winners (2010)</td></tr><tr><th> Austria</th><td>UEFA Group H winners</td><td>18 November 2025</td><td>9</td><td>1998</td><td>1</td><td>Third place (1954)</td></tr><tr><th> Belgium</th><td>UEFA Group J winners</td><td>18 November 2025</td><td>15</td><td>2022</td><td>4</td><td>Third place (2018)</td></tr><tr><th> Panama</th><td>CONCACAF third round Group A winners</td><td>18 November 2025</td><td>2</td><td>2018</td><td>1</td><td>Group stage (2018)</td></tr><tr><th> Curaçao</th><td>CONCACAF third round Group B winners</td><td>18 November 2025</td><td>1</td><td>—N/a</td><td>1</td><td>—N/a</td></tr><tr><th> Haiti</th><td>CONCACAF third round Group C winners</td><td>18 November 2025</td><td>2</td><td>1974</td><td>1</td><td>Group stage (1974)</td></tr><tr><th> Bosnia and Herzegovina</th><td>UEFA play-offs Path A winners</td><td>31 March 2026</td><td>2</td><td>2014</td><td>1</td><td>Group stage (2014)</td></tr><tr><th> Sweden</th><td>UEFA play-offs Path B winners</td><td>31 March 2026</td><td>13</td><td>2018</td><td>1</td><td>Runners-up (1958)</td></tr><tr><th> Turkey</th><td>UEFA play-offs Path C winners</td><td>31 March 2026</td><td>4</td><td>2002</td><td>1</td><td>Third place (2002)</td></tr><tr><th> Czech Republic</th><td>UEFA play-offs Path D winners</td><td>31 March 2026</td><td>10</td><td>2006</td><td>1</td><td>Runners-up (1934, 1962)</td></tr><tr><th> DR Congo</th><td>Inter-confederation Pathway 1 play-off winners</td><td>31 March 2026</td><td>2</td><td>1974</td><td>1</td><td>Group stage (1974)</td></tr><tr><th> Iraq</th><td>Inter-confederation Pathway 2 play-off winners</td><td>31 March 2026</td><td>2</td><td>1986</td><td>1</td><td>Group stage (1986)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Debutants and returnees

• Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan all made their World Cup debuts. • Qatar advanced to the tournament through qualification for the first time, as it automatically qualified as host in 2022. • DR Congo and Haiti returned to the tournament after appearing in their only previous tournament in (/wiki/1974FIFAWorldCup). • Iraq returned to the tournament after appearing in their only previous tournament in (/wiki/1986FIFAWorldCup). • Austria, Norway, and Scotland returned to the tournament after last appearing in (/wiki/1998FIFAWorldCup). • Turkey qualified for the first time since finishing third in (/wiki/2002FIFAWorldCup). • Czech Republic qualified for the first time since (/wiki/2006FIFAWorldCup). • New Zealand, Paraguay, and South Africa (2010 World Cup host) returned after last taking part in (/wiki/2010FIFAWorldCup). South Africa advanced to the tournament through qualification for the first time since (/wiki/2002FIFAWorldCup), while New Zealand was the lowest ranked team to qualify, ranked 85th. • Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ivory Coast qualified for the first time since (/wiki/2014FIFAWorldCup). 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 (/wiki/2022FIFAWorldCup).

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. Similar to (/wiki/2018FIFAWorldCup) 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 (/wiki/1994FIFAWorldCup). • Cameroon, Costa Rica, Denmark, Poland, Serbia, and Wales, all of whom qualified in 2022, also did not qualify for the 2026 tournament.

Other

• Uzbekistan became the first country from Central Asia to take part in the FIFA World Cup. • Iraq's successful qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup was considered one of the longest ever by a national team, spanning 21 matches over a period of 28 months. • This was the first time that two Caribbean nations (Curaçao and Haiti) qualified for the World Cup. • 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. • 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. • 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

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

On 9 May 2017, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation scheme for the new 48-team final format.

Summary of qualification

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="10"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Confederation</th><th>Direct slots</th><th>Change from 2022</th><th>Play-off slots</th><th>Teams started</th><th>Teams eliminated</th><th>Teams qualified</th><th>Qualifying start date</th><th>Qualifying end date</th></tr><tr><td>AFC</td><td>8</td><td>+3</td><td>1</td><td>46</td><td>37</td><td>9</td><td>12 October 2023</td><td>18 November 2025</td></tr><tr><td>CAF</td><td>9</td><td>+4</td><td>1</td><td>53</td><td>43</td><td>10</td><td>15 November 2023</td><td>16 November 2025</td></tr><tr><td>CONCACAF</td><td>3+3 (hosts)</td><td>+3</td><td>2</td><td>32+3 (hosts)</td><td>29</td><td>3+3 (hosts)</td><td>22 March 2024</td><td>18 November 2025</td></tr><tr><td>CONMEBOL</td><td>6</td><td>+2</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>4</td><td>6</td><td>7 September 2023</td><td>9 September 2025</td></tr><tr><td>OFC</td><td>1</td><td>+1</td><td>1</td><td>11</td><td>10</td><td>1</td><td>6 September 2024</td><td>24 March 2025</td></tr><tr><td>UEFA</td><td>16</td><td>+3</td><td>0</td><td>54</td><td>38</td><td>16</td><td>21 March 2025</td><td>31 March 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Play-offs</td><td>2</td><td>—</td><td>—N/a</td><td>(6)</td><td>(4)</td><td>(2)</td><td>26 March 2026</td><td>31 March 2026</td></tr><tr><th>Total</th><th>45+3 (hosts)</th><th>+16</th><th>6</th><th>206+3 (hosts)</th><th>161</th><th>45+3</th><th>7 September 2023</th><th>31 March 2026</th></tr></tbody></table>

Suspensions and withdrawals

Russia were suspended indefinitely on 28 February 2022 from participating in UEFA and FIFA competitions due to the country's invasion of Ukraine. A circular distributed by UEFA on 11 November 2024 stated 192 group stage matches would take place, confirming Russia's exclusion from the tournament.

Sri Lanka were suspended in January 2023 for an unspecified reason, and they did not appear in the draw information the AFC released in early July. However, the suspension was lifted on the condition that their federation would hold elections at least ten days before qualification would begin.

Eritrea withdrew from qualification on 10 November 2023, prior to playing any matches, due to concerns that players would seek political asylum if allowed to travel overseas.

Congo were suspended on 6 February 2025 for government interference in Congolese Football Federation operations. No announcement regarding their status was immediately available, and CAF initially cancelled their remaining matches. The suspension was lifted by FIFA on 14 May 2025, and Tanzania and Zambia were awarded 3–0 victories by forfeit.

Format

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

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):

• A double round-robin (or "league") format in which each team in a group played all other teams in their group twice – 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 – 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):

Should two or more teams still have equal rank after criteria 1–3 were applied, then the following criteria were used:

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).

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). 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).

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. The draw for the first round was held on 27 July 2023 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The draw for the second round took place two hours later.

• First round: Twenty teams (ranked 27–46) played home-and-away over two legs. The ten winners advanced to the second round. • Second round: Thirty-six teams (those ranked 1–26 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)

<table><thead><tr><th>Legend</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup</td></tr><tr><td> Advanced to the fourth round</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Source: AFC, FIFA</th><th>Source: AFC, FIFA</th><th>Source: AFC, FIFA</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Iran</th><td>10</td><td>23</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Uzbekistan</th><td>10</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> United Arab Emirates</th><td>10</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Qatar</th><td>10</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Kyrgyzstan</th><td>10</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> North Korea</th><td>10</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> South Korea</th><td>10</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Jordan</th><td>10</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Iraq</th><td>10</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Oman</th><td>10</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Palestine</th><td>10</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Kuwait</th><td>10</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Japan</th><td>10</td><td>23</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Australia</th><td>10</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Saudi Arabia</th><td>10</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Indonesia</th><td>10</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> China</th><td>10</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Bahrain</th><td>10</td><td>6</td></tr></tbody></table>

Final positions (fourth round)

<table><thead><tr><th>Legend</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup</td></tr><tr><td> Advanced to the fifth round</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Source: AFC (H) Hosts</th><th>Source: AFC (H) Hosts</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Qatar (H)</th><td>2</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> United Arab Emirates</th><td>2</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Oman</th><td>2</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Saudi Arabia (H)</th><td>2</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Iraq</th><td>2</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Indonesia</th><td>2</td><td>0</td></tr></tbody></table>

Final positions (fifth round)

The winner advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.

<table><thead><tr><th>Team 1</th><th>Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score</th><th>Team 2</th><th>1st leg</th><th>2nd leg</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>United Arab Emirates </td><td>2–3</td><td> Iraq</td><td>1–1</td><td>1–2</td></tr></tbody></table>

CAF

The CAF Executive Committee announced a new African qualification format on 19 May 2023. The draw was held on 13 July 2023 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. 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.

• 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)

<table><thead><tr><th>Legend</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup</td></tr><tr><td> Advanced to the second round</td></tr><tr><td> Withdrew</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Source: FIFA</th><th>Source: FIFA</th><th>Source: FIFA</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Egypt</th><td>10</td><td>26</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Burkina Faso</th><td>10</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Sierra Leone</th><td>10</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Guinea-Bissau</th><td>10</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Ethiopia</th><td>10</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Djibouti</th><td>10</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Senegal</th><td>10</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> DR Congo</th><td>10</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Sudan</th><td>10</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Togo</th><td>10</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Mauritania</th><td>10</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> South Sudan</th><td>10</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> South Africa</th><td>10</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Nigeria</th><td>10</td><td>17</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Benin</th><td>10</td><td>17</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Lesotho</th><td>10</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Rwanda</th><td>10</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Zimbabwe</th><td>10</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Source: FIFA</td><td>Source: FIFA</td><td>Source: FIFA</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Cape Verde</th><td>10</td><td>23</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Cameroon</th><td>10</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Libya</th><td>10</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Angola</th><td>10</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Mauritius</th><td>10</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Eswatini</th><td>10</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Morocco</th><td>8</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Niger</th><td>8</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Tanzania</th><td>8</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Zambia</th><td>8</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Congo</th><td>8</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Eritrea</th><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Ivory Coast</th><td>10</td><td>26</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Gabon</th><td>10</td><td>25</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Gambia</th><td>10</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Kenya</th><td>10</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Burundi</th><td>10</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Seychelles</th><td>10</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Source: FIFA</td><td>Source: FIFA</td><td>Source: FIFA</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Algeria</th><td>10</td><td>25</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Uganda</th><td>10</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Mozambique</th><td>10</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Guinea</th><td>10</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Botswana</th><td>10</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Somalia</th><td>10</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Tunisia</th><td>10</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Namibia</th><td>10</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Liberia</th><td>10</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Malawi</th><td>10</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Equatorial Guinea</th><td>10</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> São Tomé and Príncipe</th><td>10</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Ghana</th><td>10</td><td>25</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Madagascar</th><td>10</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Mali</th><td>10</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Comoros</th><td>10</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Central African Republic</th><td>10</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Chad</th><td>10</td><td>1</td></tr></tbody></table>

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.

<table><thead><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><th> Gabon</th><td>8</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> DR Congo</th><td>8</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Cameroon</th><td>8</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Nigeria</th><td>8</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Burkina Faso</th><td>8</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Niger</th><td>8</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><th> Madagascar</th><td>8</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><th> Uganda</th><td>8</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><th> Namibia</th><td>8</td><td>9</td></tr></tbody></table>

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.

The winner advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.

<table><thead><tr><th> </th><th colspan="2">Semi-finals</th><th colspan="2"></th><th colspan="2">Final</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">13 November 2025 – Rabat (Hassan)</td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="7"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Nigeria (a.e.t.)</td><td rowspan="2">4</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">16 November 2025 – Rabat (Hassan)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Gabon</td><td rowspan="2">1</td><td rowspan="6"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Nigeria</td><td rowspan="2">1 (3)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">13 November 2025 – Rabat (Al Barid)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="2"> DR Congo (p)</td><td rowspan="2">1 (4)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Cameroon</td><td rowspan="2">0</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> DR Congo</td><td rowspan="2">1</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>

CONCACAF

Three teams in CONCACAF—Canada, Mexico and the United States—automatically qualified as host nations. On 28 February 2023, CONCACAF announced the qualifying format for 2026 World Cup qualification.

• 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 – the two winners from the first round and CONCACAF teams ranked 1 to 28 based on the FIFA ranking of December 2023 – 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)

<table><thead><tr><th>Legend</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup</td></tr><tr><td> Advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><th> Jamaica</th><td>6</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Suriname</th><td>6</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Honduras</th><td>6</td><td>9</td></tr></tbody></table>

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. This was approved, with the first games of the qualifiers played in September 2023.

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.

Final positions

<table><thead><tr><th>Legend</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup</td></tr><tr><td> Advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><th> Argentina</th><td>18</td><td>38</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Ecuador</th><td>18</td><td>29</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Colombia</th><td>18</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Uruguay</th><td>18</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Brazil</th><td>18</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th> Paraguay</th><td>18</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><th> Bolivia</th><td>18</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><th> Venezuela</th><td>18</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><th> Peru</th><td>18</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><th> Chile</th><td>18</td><td>11</td></tr></tbody></table>

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.

• 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.

<table><thead><tr><th> </th><th colspan="2">Semi-finals</th><th colspan="2"></th><th colspan="2">Final</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">21 March 2025 – Wellington</td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="7"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> New Caledonia</td><td rowspan="2">3</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">24 March 2025 – Auckland</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Tahiti</td><td rowspan="2">0</td><td rowspan="6"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> New Caledonia</td><td rowspan="2">0</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">21 March 2025 – Wellington</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="2"> New Zealand</td><td rowspan="2">3</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> New Zealand</td><td rowspan="2">7</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Fiji</td><td rowspan="2">0</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>

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 participated in play-off matches, for a total of 16 teams qualifying for the finals.

The qualification draw took place on 13 December 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland. 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.

• 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 2024–25 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.

Final positions (first round)

<table><thead><tr><th>Legend</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup</td></tr><tr><td> Advanced to the second round</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Source: FIFA, UEFA</th><th>Source: FIFA, UEFA</th><th>Source: FIFA, UEFA</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Germany</th><td>6</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Slovakia</th><td>6</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Northern Ireland</th><td>6</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Luxembourg</th><td>6</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Switzerland</th><td>6</td><td>14</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Kosovo</th><td>6</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Slovenia</th><td>6</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Sweden</th><td>6</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Scotland</th><td>6</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Denmark</th><td>6</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Greece</th><td>6</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Belarus</th><td>6</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Source: FIFA, UEFA</td><td>Source: FIFA, UEFA</td><td>Source: FIFA, UEFA</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> France</th><td>6</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Ukraine</th><td>6</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Iceland</th><td>6</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Azerbaijan</th><td>6</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Spain</th><td>6</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Turkey</th><td>6</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Georgia</th><td>6</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Bulgaria</th><td>6</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Portugal</th><td>6</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Republic of Ireland</th><td>6</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Hungary</th><td>6</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Armenia</th><td>6</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Source: FIFA, UEFA</td><td>Source: FIFA, UEFA</td><td>Source: FIFA, UEFA</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Netherlands</th><td>8</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Poland</th><td>8</td><td>17</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Finland</th><td>8</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Malta</th><td>8</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Lithuania</th><td>8</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Austria</th><td>8</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Bosnia and Herzegovina</th><td>8</td><td>17</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Romania</th><td>8</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Cyprus</th><td>8</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> San Marino</th><td>8</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Norway</th><td>8</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Italy</th><td>8</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Israel</th><td>8</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Estonia</th><td>8</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Moldova</th><td>8</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Source: FIFA, UEFA</td><td>Source: FIFA, UEFA</td><td>Source: FIFA, UEFA</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Belgium</th><td>8</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Wales</th><td>8</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> North Macedonia</th><td>8</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Kazakhstan</th><td>8</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Liechtenstein</th><td>8</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> England</th><td>8</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Albania</th><td>8</td><td>14</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Serbia</th><td>8</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Latvia</th><td>8</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Andorra</th><td>8</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>Pts</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><th> Croatia</th><td>8</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th> Czech Republic</th><td>8</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th> Faroe Islands</th><td>8</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th> Montenegro</th><td>8</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th> Gibraltar</th><td>8</td><td>0</td></tr></tbody></table>

Final positions (second round)

The winners of each path qualified for the World Cup.

<table><thead><tr><th> </th><th colspan="2">Semi-finals</th><th colspan="2"></th><th colspan="2">Final</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Cardiff</td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="7"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Wales</td><td rowspan="2">1 (2)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">31 March 2026 – Zenica</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Bosnia and Herzegovina (p)</td><td rowspan="2">1 (4)</td><td rowspan="6"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Bosnia and Herzegovina (p)</td><td rowspan="2">1 (4)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Bergamo</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="2"> Italy</td><td rowspan="2">1 (1)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Italy</td><td rowspan="2">2</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Northern Ireland</td><td rowspan="2">0</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th> </th><th colspan="2">Semi-finals</th><th colspan="2"></th><th colspan="2">Final</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Valencia</td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="7"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Ukraine</td><td rowspan="2">1</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">31 March 2026 – Solna</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Sweden</td><td rowspan="2">3</td><td rowspan="6"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Sweden</td><td rowspan="2">3</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Warsaw</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="2"> Poland</td><td rowspan="2">2</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Poland</td><td rowspan="2">2</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Albania</td><td rowspan="2">1</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th> </th><th colspan="2">Semi-finals</th><th colspan="2"></th><th colspan="2">Final</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Bratislava</td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="7"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Slovakia</td><td rowspan="2">3</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">31 March 2026 – Pristina</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Kosovo</td><td rowspan="2">4</td><td rowspan="6"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Kosovo</td><td rowspan="2">0</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Istanbul</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="2"> Turkey</td><td rowspan="2">1</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Turkey</td><td rowspan="2">1</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Romania</td><td rowspan="2">0</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th> </th><th colspan="2">Semi-finals</th><th colspan="2"></th><th colspan="2">Final</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Prague</td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="7"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Czech Republic (p)</td><td rowspan="2">2 (4)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">31 March 2026 – Prague</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Republic of Ireland</td><td rowspan="2">2 (3)</td><td rowspan="6"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Czech Republic (p)</td><td rowspan="2">2 (3)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Copenhagen</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="2"> Denmark</td><td rowspan="2">2 (1)</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> Denmark</td><td rowspan="2">4</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td rowspan="2"> North Macedonia</td><td rowspan="2">0</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>

Inter-confederation play-offs

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

A play-off tournament involving six teams – one each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC and two from CONCACAF – 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.

<table><thead><tr><th></th><th colspan="2">Semi-final</th><th colspan="2"></th><th colspan="2">Final</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="6"></td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="7"></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">31 March 2026 – Zapopan</td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="3"></td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="2"> DR Congo (a.e.t.)</td><td rowspan="2">1</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Zapopan</td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="2"> Jamaica</td><td rowspan="2">0</td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="2"> New Caledonia</td><td rowspan="2">0</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="2"> Jamaica</td><td rowspan="2">1</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th></th><th colspan="2">Semi-final</th><th colspan="2"></th><th colspan="2">Final</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="6"></td><td rowspan="4"></td><td rowspan="7"></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">31 March 2026 – Guadalupe</td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="3"></td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="2"> Iraq</td><td rowspan="2">2</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2">26 March 2026 – Guadalupe</td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="3"></td><td rowspan="5"></td><td rowspan="2"> Bolivia</td><td rowspan="2">1</td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="2"> Bolivia</td><td rowspan="2">2</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td></td><td rowspan="2"> Suriname</td><td rowspan="2">1</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Top goalscorers

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

There were 2,527 goals scored in 899 matches, for an average of 2.81 goals per match.

Below are goalscorer lists for all confederations and the inter-confederation play-offs: