Teams from all around the world are vying for a spot in the expanded 48-team competition, which will begin on June 11, 2026, in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is rapidly approaching. The qualification process is well under way, with some countries having already guaranteed their spots and others still fighting through difficult qualifying matches. An outline of the current World Cup qualifying scenario, all times Eastern, may be found by reading on.
CAF
Nine groups make up Africa’s qualifying process; the champions of each group advance straight to the intercontinental playoffs, while the top four finishers advance to the playoffs. Go to the complete CAF standings.
Upcoming Matches and Results
Thursday, September 4
- Chad vs. Ghana – 9 a.m. ET
- Guinea-Bissau vs. Sierra Leone – 12 p.m. ET
- Angola vs. Libya – 12 p.m. ET
- Mauritius vs. Cape Verde – 12 p.m. ET
- Sao Tome vs. Equatorial Guinea – 12 p.m. ET
- Madagascar vs. Central African Republic – 12 p.m. ET
- Cameroon vs. Swaziland – 3 p.m. ET
- Algeria vs. Botswana – 3 p.m. ET
- Tunisia vs. Liberia – 3 p.m. ET
- Mali vs. Comoros – 3 p.m. ET
Friday, September 5
- South Sudan vs. DR Congo – 8 a.m. ET
- Somalia vs. Guinea – 8 a.m. ET
- Kenya vs. Gambia – 9 a.m. ET
- Namibia vs. Malawi – 9 a.m. ET
- Djibouti vs. Burkina Faso – 12 p.m. ET
- Benin vs. Zimbabwe – 12 p.m. ET
- Lesotho vs. South Africa – 12 p.m. ET
- Congo vs. Tanzania – 12 p.m. ET
- Uganda vs. Mozambique – 12 p.m. ET
- Egypt vs. Ethiopia – 3 p.m. ET
- Mauritania vs. Togo – 3 p.m. ET
- Senegal vs. Sudan – 3 p.m. ET
- Morocco vs. Niger – 3 p.m. ET
- Ivory Coast vs. Burundi – 3 p.m. ET
Saturday, September 6
- Nigeria vs. Rwanda – 12 p.m. ET
Sunday, September 7
- CA Republic vs. Comoros – 12 p.m. ET
CONCACAF
Since the US, Mexico, and Canada are the hosts by default, other CONCACAF countries are competing for the remaining spots in the group stages and playoffs. See the CONCACAF standings in their entirety.
Qualified Teams
- USA (as co-host)
- Mexico (as co-host)
- Canada (as co-host)
Upcoming Matches and Results
Thursday, September 4
- Suriname vs. Panama – 5:30 p.m. ET
- Guatemala vs. El Salvador – 10:00 p.m. ET
Friday, September 5
- Bermuda vs. Jamaica – 6:00 p.m. ET
- Trinidad vs. Curaçao – 8:00 p.m. ET
- Haiti vs. Honduras – 8:00 p.m. ET
- Nicaragua vs. Costa Rica – 10:00 p.m. ET
CONMEBOL
With both established powerhouses and up-and-coming teams competing for one of the six direct slots and one intercontinental playoff ticket allotted to the area, the South American qualifications are as tough as ever. See the CONMEBOL standings in their entirety.
Qualified Teams
Upcoming Matches and Results
Thursday, September 4
- Argentina vs. Venezuela – 7:30 p.m. ET
- Colombia vs. Bolivia – 7:30 p.m. ET
- Paraguay vs. Ecuador – 7:30 p.m. ET
- Uruguay vs. Peru – 7:30 p.m. ET
- Brazil vs. Chile – 8:30 p.m. ET
UEFA
With 12 groups for qualification, Europe gets 16 spots for the 2026 World Cup. The top runners-up will advance to the playoffs, while the group winners will get direct qualification. Check out the complete UEFA standings.
Upcoming Matches and Results
Thursday, September 4
- Kazakhstan vs. Wales – 10:00 a.m. ET
- Georgia vs. Türkiye – 12:00 p.m. ET
- Lithuania vs. Malta – 12:00 p.m. ET
- Luxembourg vs. Northern Ireland – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Slovakia vs. Germany – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Bulgaria vs. Spain – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Liechtenstein vs. Belgium – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Netherlands vs. Poland – 2:45 p.m. ET
Friday, September 5
- Slovenia vs. Sweden – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Switzerland vs. Kosovo – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Greece vs. Belarus – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Denmark vs. Scotland – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Iceland vs. Azerbaijan – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Ukraine vs. France – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Moldova vs. Israel – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Italy vs. Estonia – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Faroe Islands vs. Croatia – 2:45 p.m. ET
- Montenegro vs. Czechia – 2:45 p.m. ET
AFC
Teams are competing for eight direct slots and one intercontinental playoff berth in the third round of the Asian qualifiers. Check out the complete AFC standings.
Qualified Teams
- Japan
- Iran
- Uzbekistan
- South Korea
- Jordan
- Australia
Upcoming Matches and Results
Wednesday, October 8
- Oman vs. Qatar – 12 p.m. ET
- Indonesia vs. Saudi Arabia – 2 p.m. ET
Satuday, October 11
- UAE vs. Oman – 12 o.m. ET
- Iraq vs. Indonesia – 2 p.m. ET
Tuesday, October 14
- Qatar vs. UAE – 12 p.m. ET
- Saudi Arabia vs. Iraq – 2 p.m. ET
OFC
The Oceania region has secured a World Cup berth for the first time. Check out the qualifying standings for the OFC.
Qualified Teams
2026 FIFA World Cup Teams
The following teams have secured their spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
- USA
- Mexico
- Canada
- Japan
- Iran
- Uzbekistan
- South Korea
- Jordan
- Australia
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Ecuador
- New Zealand
How many teams will make it to the World Cup in 2026?
48 teams will make it to the 2026 World Cup for the first time ever. There were 32 teams in all before.
How can you watch the World Cup?
FOX, FS1, FOXSports.com, and the FOX Sports App will all broadcast the games.
When is the final 2026 FIFA World Cup draw?
In December 2025, the final draw will be held in the United States at a location to be decided.
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