There is a dramatic end in sight for the 2026 World Cup qualifying process, which started little over two years ago with 206 countries in the running.
With a 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia secured the top spot in their African qualification group, making them the most recent country to secure their participation. With a goal in stoppage time, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane gave the “Eagles of Carthage” an unassailable lead over Namibia, advancing Tunisia to their seventh World Cup.
Living to fight another day was enough to set off wild celebrations elsewhere. Bolivia overcame Brazil for the second time in history on Tuesday, securing a spot in the March 2026 intercontinental playoffs. In addition to Venezuela’s ridiculous 6-3 home loss to Colombia, Bolivia’s 1-0 victory at home was sufficient to keep hope for the foreseeable future.
Even though Italy defeated Israel 5–4 on Monday, the four-time World Cup champions were still in a tough spot in Europe, as Norway leads their group by six points. The “Azzurri” are fighting for a spot in the playoffs, much alone a direct entry into the tournament next summer, even though there are still a few games to go. Saudi Arabia and Cameroon, regular qualifiers, are in similarly precarious situations, while Sweden and Nigeria are currently longshots.
What you need to know about the 2026 World Cup qualifying teams, the teams that could be the next to secure a spot, and the distribution of spots allotted to each region of the world is as follows:
Who is eligible to play in the 2026 World Cup?
The 48 teams who will compete in the 2026 World Cup represent a significant increase from the 32 that did so in Qatar in 2022. 18 countries have qualified after the qualifications in September were concluded.
The full list of countries who qualified for the 2026 World Cup as of Wednesday, September 10 is as follows:
- Host nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
- Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan
- Africa: Morocco, Tunisia
- Concacaf: None yet
- Europe: None yet
- Oceania: New Zealand
- South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
Who will be the next to secure a 2026 spot in the World Cup?
World Cup qualifying is nearing its peak, however the timetable and procedure differ for each confederation. However, in the upcoming round of competitions taking place in early October, seven African countries could secure their spots in the 2026 World Cup:
- Algeria: If Algeria defeats Somalia or Uganda loses to Botswana, Group G may be decided on the following gameday. This will be a one-game match if Uganda holds out, with Algeria hosting Uganda on the last day of play.
- Cape Verde: The “Blue Sharks” are just one victory away from earning their first-ever World Cup berth after defeating Cameroon 1-0 on Tuesday. They will play Libya away in October before hosting last-place, already-defeated Eswatini at home.
- Egypt: Egypt leads Group A by five points over Burkina Faso with two games remaining. A victory, two draws, or a defeat by Burkina Faso would guarantee entry into “the Pharoahs.”
- Ghana: Despite a difficult journey, the “Black Stars” will secure a berth at the country’s fifth men’s World Cup with a road victory over the Central African Republic and a blunder from Madagascar in the October window.
- Ivory Coast: If they defeat Gabon and defeat Seychelles, who have lost all eight of their qualifying matches so far with a minus-37 goal differential, “the Elephants” would secure a spot in the World Cup.
- Senegal: On the following gameday, the “Lions of Teranga” can earn a spot in Group B. Senegal has to defeat South Sudan on the road and DR Congo lose at Togo in order to take an overwhelming lead.
- South Africa: South Africa would be one win away from qualifying if they defeated Zimbabwe in October. The deal would be sealed if Benin were to lose to Rwanda on the road.
How many spots are available for each region in the World Cup qualifiers?
This is a detailed explanation of how FIFA allocated each of the 48 spots for the 2026 World Cup:
- Host nations (3): The United States, Canada, and Mexico all qualified right away after being chosen to host the tournament.
- Asia (8): Six Asian nations are eligible. On Wednesday, October 8, the Asian Football Confederation will start its fourth round, which will determine who gets the remaining two automatic berths.
- Africa (9): Eritrea withdrew from Group E prior to the start of play, but 54 countries were divided into nine groups of six for African qualifying. All of the group winners advance, and the top four finishers will have a route to the intercontinental playoffs. There are already two spots reserved.
- Concacaf (3): On Thursday, September 4, the region’s third round got underway, with three groups of four. The two top runners-up advance to the intercontinental playoffs, while the group winners get direct qualification.
- Europe (16): There are 54 teams divided into 12 groups for UEFA qualification. The top four teams from the UEFA Nations League who did not win their qualifying groups will compete in a playoff for Europe’s remaining four spots, which is scheduled for March 2026, while the group winners advance to the World Cup.
- Oceania (1): The single guaranteed spot in Oceania for the 2026 World Cup has already been taken by New Zealand.
- South America (6): Six teams qualified for the World Cup after CONMEBOL’s lengthy qualification competition. The region’s place in the intercontinental playoffs was won by a seventh team (Bolivia).
- Intercontinental playoff (2): Bolivia and New Caledonia have secured their places in the six-team competition that will take place in March 2026.
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