Excitement around the 2026 FIFA World Cup is already rising. The tournament format has also changed — the number of teams has increased from 32 to 48. With this expansion, the competition has become even tougher. The final round of qualifiers ended on Tuesday night. Across Europe, Africa, Asia and other zones, 42 teams have secured direct qualification so far. Surprise entries include Curaçao and Cape Verde. The remaining six spots will be decided through playoffs featuring second-placed group teams, while some nations will enter the inter-continental playoffs.
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Which teams have qualified directly?
So far, 42 teams have earned direct entry to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Another 22 teams will fight for the final six spots through playoffs.
Hosts Canada, Mexico and the USA have automatically qualified.
Asia (AFC)
Eight teams from the Asian zone have qualified directly:
Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Uzbekistan.
One more Asian team will qualify via playoffs.
Europe (UEFA)
A total of 54 teams competed in European qualifiers, divided into 12 groups. Nations directly qualifying are:
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Switzerland.
South America (CONMEBOL)
Six South American teams have booked their World Cup spots:
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Another team will enter the playoffs.
Africa (CAF)
Nine teams from Africa have qualified directly:
Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.
CONCACAF & Oceania (OFC)
From CONCACAF, three teams have earned direct qualification:
Curaçao, Haiti and Panama.
From Oceania, New Zealand is the only team to qualify directly.
European Playoffs
Group runners-up and four additional teams based on Nations League performance will compete in the playoffs.
Four teams from this playoff round will qualify.
Notable teams in the mix include Poland, Wales and Italy.
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Inter-continental Playoffs
Scheduled for March, this mini-tournament will feature:
Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname.
Two teams from this group will qualify for the World Cup.
