2026 FIFA World Cup qualification


The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will decide the 45 teams that will join hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Qualification began on 7 September 2023 with three matches of the CONMEBOL zone played that day. The first goal of the qualification series was scored by Colombian player Rafael Santos Borré against Venezuela.
Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan all qualified for the first time, with Curaçao becoming the smallest nation to ever qualify, while Qatar had their first successful qualifying campaign after making their debut in the previous edition as hosts.

Slot allocation

On 30 March 2017, the Bureau of the FIFA Council proposed a [|slot allocation] for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The recommendation was submitted for the ratification by the FIFA Council.
On 9 May 2017, two days before the 67th FIFA Congress, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation in a meeting in Manama, Bahrain. This included an intercontinental play-off tournament involving six teams to decide the last two FIFA World Cup spots.
The ratification of slot allocation also gave the OFC a guaranteed berth in the final tournament for the first time in FIFA World Cup history; as such, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first tournament in which all six confederations have at least one guaranteed berth.

Qualified teams

TeamMethod of
qualification		Date of
qualification		Total
times
qualified		Last
time
qualified		Current
consecutive
appearances		Previous best
performance
Hosts14 February 2023320222Group stage
Hosts14 February 20231820229Quarter-finals
Hosts1220222Third place
AFC third round Group C winners20 March 2025820228Round of 16
OFC third round winners24 March 2025320101Group stage
AFC third round Group A winners25 March 2025720224Group stage
CONMEBOL winners25 March 202519202214Winners
5 June 20251—1—
AFC third round Group B winners5 June 202512202211Fourth place
5 June 20251—1—
10 June 2025720226Round of 16
CONMEBOL fifth place10 June 202523202223Winners
CONMEBOL runners-up10 June 2025520222Round of 16
CONMEBOL fourth place4 September 20251520225Winners
CONMEBOL third place4 September 2025720181Quarter-finals
CONMEBOL sixth place4 September 2025920101Quarter-finals
CAF Group E winners5 September 2025720223Fourth place
CAF Group H winners8 September 2025720223Group stage
CAF Group A winners8 October 2025420181First round, group stage
CAF Group G winners9 October 2025520141Round of 16
CAF Group I winners12 October 2025520222Quarter-finals
CAF Group D winners13 October 20251—1—
CAF Group C winners14 October 2025420101Group stage
AFC fourth round Group A winners14 October 2025220222Group stage
UEFA Group K winners14 October 20251720228Winners
AFC fourth round Group B winners14 October 2025720223Round of 16
CAF Group F winners14 October 2025420141Group stage
CAF Group B winners14 October 2025420223Quarter-finals
UEFA Group D winners13 November 20251820228Winners
UEFA Group L winners14 November 2025720224Runners-up
UEFA Group F winners16 November 2025920227Third place
UEFA Group I winners16 November 2025419981Round of 16
UEFA Group A winners17 November 202521202219Winners
UEFA Group G winners17 November 20251220222Runners-up
UEFA Group J winners18 November 20251520224Third place
UEFA Group H winners18 November 2025919981Third place
UEFA Group B winners18 November 20251320226Quarter-finals
UEFA Group E winners18 November 202517202213Winners
UEFA Group C winners18 November 20251019981
CONCACAF Group A winners18 November 2025220181
CONCACAF Group C winners18 November 2025219741
CONCACAF Group B winners18 November 20251—1—

'''Notes'''

Qualification process

On 9 May 2017, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation scheme for the new 48-team final format.

Summary of qualification

Suspensions and withdrawals

were suspended indefinitely on 28 February 2022 from participating in UEFA and FIFA competitions for the country's invasion of Ukraine. A circular distributed by UEFA on 11 November 2024 stated 192 group stage matches would take place, confirming Russia's exclusion from the tournament.
Sri Lanka were suspended in January 2023 for an unspecified reason and they did not appear in the draw information the AFC released in early July. However, they were re-added with the condition that their federation would hold elections at least ten days before qualification would begin.
Eritrea withdrew from qualification on 10 November 2023, prior to playing any matches, having concerns that players would seek political asylum if allowed to travel overseas.
Congo were suspended on 6 February 2025 for government interference in Congolese Football Federation operations. No announcement regarding their status was immediately available, and CAF initially cancelled their remaining matches. The suspension was lifted by FIFA on 14 May 2025, and Tanzania and Zambia were awarded 3–0 victories by forfeit.

Format

Each confederation was responsible for its own qualification tournament, which consisted of at least one round of competition using the following formats :
  • A double round-robin format in which each team in a group played all other teams in their group twice – once at home and once away.
  • A single round-robin format in which each team in a group played all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing associations.
  • A knockout format in which each team in a round played one other team over two legs – once at home and once away.
  • With FIFA's permission, a tournament held in one of the participating nations or in neutral territory.
  • With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.

    Tiebreakers

In the round-robin and tournament formats, the tiebreaker criteria were as follows :
Should two or more teams still have equal rank after criteria 1–3 were applied, then the following criteria were used:
If the tournament were held in a single host nation or in neutral territory, then criterion 7 would not be applied.
In the home-and-away knockout format, the team scoring more goals on aggregate won the tie and advanced. If the aggregate score were level, then 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If the score were still level at the end of extra time, the away goals rule would not be applied and the winners would be decided by a penalty shoot-out. In the knockout format, the team scoring more goals in a single match wins and advances. If the teams are tied after regulation, then extra time will be played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the score is still level.

Confederation qualification

AFC

On 1 August 2022, the Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee approved the qualification format for Asia's road to the 2026 World Cup, as well as the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, in preparation for the eight direct spots and the single intercontinental slot allocated to the AFC by FIFA following the expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams. The draw for the first round was held on 27 July 2023 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The draw for the second round took place two hours later.
The qualification structure was as follows:
  • First round: Twenty teams played over two legs. The ten winners advanced to the second round.
  • Second round: Thirty-six teams were divided into nine groups of four teams to play Round-robin tournament| matches. The eighteen group winners and group advanced to the third round.
  • Third round: The eighteen teams that advanced from the second round were divided into three groups of six teams to play matches. The top two teams of each group qualified for the World Cup, while the and teams of each group advanced to the fourth round.
  • Fourth round: The six teams that advanced from the third round were drawn into two groups of three teams each to play a single. The winners qualified for the World Cup, and the runners-up advanced to the fifth round.
  • Fifth round: The fourth round group runners-up competed in a two-legged tie that determined the Asian representation at the .