Domestic countries find their World Cup qualifying opponents.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, marks a significant milestone in the tournament’s history, expanding to 48 teams. This expansion has led to a comprehensive and competitive qualification process across all six FIFA confederations. The qualification draws have been completed, and teams are now preparing for the upcoming matches that will determine the 45 teams joining the host nations in the World Cup.

UEFA (Europe) Qualification

UEFA has been allocated 16 spots for the 2026 World Cup. The qualification process is divided into group stages, with the top two teams from each group securing direct qualification. The remaining four spots will be determined through playoffs involving the third-placed teams and the best-performing teams from the UEFA Nations League.

The qualification groups are as follows:

• Group A: Germany/Italy (winners of the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal between Germany and Italy), Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg.
• Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
• Group C: Portugal, Greece, Scotland, Israel.
• Group D: France, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Austria.
• Group E: Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Moldova.
• Group F: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
• Group G: Spain, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus.
• Group H: Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Estonia.
• Group I: Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan.
• Group J: Italy, Ukraine, Hungary, North Macedonia.
• Group K: Croatia, Turkey, Armenia, Wales.
• Group L: Russia, Romania, Montenegro, Bulgaria.

The qualification matches are scheduled to commence in March 2025 and conclude in November 2025. The top two teams from each group will secure direct entry to the World Cup, while the third-placed teams will enter a playoff system to compete for the remaining spots.

CAF (Africa) Qualification

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has been allocated 9 spots for the 2026 World Cup. The qualification process involves a series of rounds, starting with a preliminary round, followed by group stages, and culminating in a final playoff round.

The qualification groups are as follows:

• Group A: Senegal, Mali, Congo, Namibia.
• Group B: Tunisia, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania.
• Group C: Morocco, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Malawi.
• Group D: Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa, Benin.
• Group E: Ghana, Egypt, Gabon, Comoros.
• Group F: DR Congo, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Tanzania.
• Group G: Angola, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
• Group H: Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea, Niger.
• Group I: Tunisia, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania.

The top team from each group will advance to the final playoff round, where they will compete for the remaining spots. The final playoff round will determine the 9 African teams that will participate in the 2026 World Cup.

CONMEBOL (South America) Qualification

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) has been allocated 6 spots for the 2026 World Cup. The qualification process is a round-robin league format, with each of the 10 South American teams playing home and away matches against every other team.

The top 6 teams at the end of the round-robin matches will secure direct qualification to the World Cup. The 7th placed team will enter an intercontinental playoff against a team from another confederation for the final spot.

CONCACAF (North, Central America, and Caribbean) Qualification

The Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has been allocated 6 spots for the 2026 World Cup. The qualification process involves a series of rounds, starting with a preliminary round, followed by group stages, and culminating in a final playoff round.

The qualification groups are as follows:

• Group A: Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Panama.
• Group B: United States, Canada, Honduras, El Salvador.
• Group C: Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua.
• Group D: Guatemala, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the final playoff round, where they will compete for the 6 available spots.

AFC (Asia) Qualification

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has been allocated 8 spots for the 2026 World Cup. The qualification process involves a series of rounds, starting with a preliminary round, followed by group stages, and culminating in a final playoff round.