The 2026 World Cup qualifiers are exciting and some teams - including defending champion Argentina - have soon won a place in the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in three countries including the US, Canada and Mexico, taking place from June 11 to July 19.
This will be the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 participating teams - an increase of 16 teams compared to the tournament in Qatar in 2022.
The three host countries will automatically qualify, while teams from UEFA ( Europe), CONMEBOL (South America), CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean), AFC (Asia), OFC (Asia) and CAF ( Africa) will participate in their own qualifying campaigns.
UEFA will ensure 16 spots to participate in the 2026 World Cup. The top 12 teams will qualify directly, while the remaining 16 teams - including 12 second-placed teams and 4 additional teams based on the Nations League rankings - will participate in the play-off round.
Outside Europe, the CAF will have nine World Cup spots, while the AFC will have eight. CONMEBOL and CONCACAF will have at least 6 spots, while the OFC will definitely have one representative.
The final two spots will be decided through an intercontinental play-off round, taking place in March 2026 with the participation of 6 teams. Each federation contributes a team (except UEFA) and an additional team from the federations of host countries.
When will the draw for the 2026 World Cup take place?
The draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place in Washington (USA) on December 5.
President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino will visit the John F. Kennedy Center - an art performance venue - to hold a draw.
When announcing the location of the draw at the White House in August, Mr. Trump called the World Cup "the biggest sporting event", while Infantino described the upcoming 104 matches as "54 Football Super Cup matches".
The draw will start at 12 noon (local time).
2026 World Cup match schedule
A full list of group stage matches and start times will be announced after the draw, but FIFA has confirmed the important days. The opening match will take place in Mexico.
The final will be held at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey (USA).
List of teams that have won tickets to the 2026 World Cup:
home country: Canada, Mexico, USA.
AFC (Asia): Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan.
CAF ( Africa): Algeria, Cabo green, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Laos.
CONMEBOL (South America): Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay.
OFC (Ocean): New Zealand.
UEFA ( Europe): Austria, Belgium, Croatia, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland.
