2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification is underway, determining the 45 teams that will join hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States on the global stage. The journey began on September 7th, 2023, with intense matches in the CONMEBOL zone, where Colombian player Rafael Santos Borré etched his name in history by scoring the very first goal of the qualification series against Venezuela.
The landscape of the World Cup is expanding, and so is the opportunity for nations to compete. On March 30th, 2017, the Bureau of the FIFA Council proposed a new slot allocation, a recommendation that was subsequently ratified by the FIFA Council on May 9th, 2017. This groundbreaking decision includes an intercontinental play-off tournament featuring six teams, all vying for the final two coveted FIFA World Cup spots. Crucially, this ratification also guarantees the OFC a berth in the final tournament for the very first time, ensuring that all six confederations will now have at least one guaranteed spot.
The qualification process itself is a multifaceted global endeavor, with each confederation responsible for its own unique tournament structure. These formats can involve double round-robin leagues, single round-robin tournaments, or knockout stages, all designed to test the mettle of competing nations. Tiebreakers, crucial for determining advancement, are meticulously defined, ensuring fairness and precision. Should teams remain level after initial criteria, further tiebreakers are applied, and in knockout formats, the drama of extra time and penalty shoot-outs can decide fates.
Across the globe, confederations are navigating their respective qualification paths. In Asia, the AFC has outlined a multi-stage process involving home-and-away fixtures and round-robin groups, leading to direct World Cup qualification for the top teams and pathways to the intercontinental play-offs. Africa, represented by CAF, has also established a group stage format where group winners earn direct qualification, with a play-off for the best runners-up to contend for a shot at the intercontinental tournament.
CONCACAF, with its three host nations automatically qualified, has a multi-round qualification system designed to identify its remaining representatives. CONMEBOL continues with its long-standing tradition of all member nations competing in a comprehensive home-and-away round-robin format, a testament to the passion and competitiveness of South American football. For the first time in history, the OFC will have a guaranteed World Cup slot, alongside a potential second through the intercontinental play-offs, after a series of knockout rounds and group stages. And in Europe, UEFA has introduced a new format featuring twelve groups, with group winners qualifying directly and runners-up entering a play-off system to secure additional berths.
Beyond the confederation qualifiers, the inter-confederation play-offs promise ultimate drama. Six teams, one from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC, and two from CONCACAF, will battle it out in a series of high-stakes matches in North America to decide the final two FIFA World Cup berths.
The pursuit of glory is fueling incredible performances, with a remarkable 1,933 goals scored in 701 matches so far, averaging 2.76 goals per game. The race to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup is on, and every match brings us closer to discovering the 48 nations that will compete for football's ultimate prize.
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.
== Slot allocation ==
On 30 March 2017, the Bureau of the FIFA Council (composed of the FIFA president and the presidents of each of the six confederations) 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 includes an intercontinental play-off tournament involving six teams to decide the last two FIFA World Cup spots.
The ratification of slot allocation also gives 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 ==
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 ===
Russia were suspended indefinitely on 28 February 2022 from participating in UEFA and FIFA competitions due to 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.
Eritrea withdrew from qualification prior to playing any matches, due to concerns that players would seek political asylum if allowed to travel overseas.
Congo were suspended on 6 February 2025 due to government interference in Congolese Football Federation operations. No announcement regarding their status was immediately available, and CAF initially cancelled their remaining matches. However, Tanzania and Zambia were later awarded 3–0 victories by forfeit. The suspension was lifted by FIFA on 14 May 2025.
Sri Lanka were suspended in January 2023 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 hold elections at least ten days before qualification starts.
== Format ==
Each confederation is responsible for its own qualification tournament, which will consist of at least one round of competition using the following formats (Regulations Article 11.3):
A double round-robin (or "league") format in which each team in a group plays 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 plays 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 plays 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 are as follows (Regulations Article 11.5):
Should two or more teams still have equal rank after criteria 1–3 are applied, then the following criteria are used:
If the tournament is being held in a single host nation or in neutral territory, then criterion 7 will not be applied (Regulations Article 11.6).
In the home-and-away knockout format, the team scoring more goals on aggregate wins the tie and advances. If the aggregate score is level, then 30 minutes of extra time will be played. If the score is still level at the end of extra time, the away goals rule will not be applied and the winners will be decided by a penalty shoot-out (Regulations Article 11.9). In the single-leg 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 (Regulations Article 11.10).
== 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 play-off 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 is as follows:
First round: Twenty teams (ranked 27–46) played home-and-away over two legs. The ten winners advanced to the second round.
Second round: Thirty-six teams (those ranked 1–26 and the ten first-round winners) were divided into nine groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The eighteen group winners and group runners-up 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 home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group qualified for the World Cup, while the third-placed and fourth-placed 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 round-robin. The winners will qualify for the World Cup, and the runners-up will advance to the fifth round.
Fifth round: The fourth round group runners-up will compete in a two-legged play-off tie to determine the Asian representation at the inter-confederation play-offs.
==== Most recent stage (third round) ====
==== Next stage (fourth round) ====
=== CAF ===
The CAF Executive Committee announced a new African qualification format on 19 May 2023.
The draw was held on 13 July 2023 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. All 54 FIFA-affiliated football associations from CAF entered qualification.
Eritrea withdrew before matches began.
The qualification structure is as follows:
First round: Teams were drawn into nine groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The winner of each group will qualify for the World Cup.
Second round: The four best-ranked group runners-up will participate in a play-off to determine which team will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.
==== Current stage (first round) ====
Neither CAF nor FIFA have made an official announcement on how Eritrea's withdrawal will affect the rankings of the group runners-up.
=== CONCACAF ===
Three nations in CONCACAF—Canada, Mexico and the United States—automatically qualified as host nations. On 28 February 2023, CONCACAF announced the qualifying format for 2026 World Cup qualification.
First round: Four CONCACAF teams, ranked 29 to 32 based on the FIFA ranking of December 2023, were divided into two matchups to be played on a two-legged home-and-away basis. The two winners advanced to the second round.
Second round: Thirty teams – the two winners from the first round and CONCACAF teams ranked 1 to 28 based on the FIFA ranking of December 2023 – were drawn into six groups of five teams. They played single round-robin matches (two home and two away), with group winners and runners-up advancing to the third round.
Third round: The twelve teams that advanced from the second round were drawn into three groups of four teams. They will play double round-robin home-and-away matches, with the three group winners qualifying for the World Cup. The two best-ranked runners-up will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.
==== Current stage (third round) ====
=== CONMEBOL ===
On 22 August 2022, CONMEBOL petitioned FIFA to keep the qualification format which had been used since the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification, where all CONMEBOL members play home-and-away round-robin matches against each other. This was approved, with the first games of the qualifiers played in September 2023.
Before the qualification competition began, Ecuador were penalized 3 points for falsifying birth documents for Byron Castillo in the previous World Cup qualification cycle.
==== Final positions ====
=== OFC ===
2026 marks the first time OFC will be granted one guaranteed slot in the World Cup, as well as a possible second slot via the inter-confederation play-offs.
The qualification structure is as follows:
First round: The four lowest-ranked teams played a three-match knockout round in September 2024. The winner, Samoa, advanced to the second round.
Second round: The winning team from the first round joined the seven highest-ranked teams in two four-team groups in October and November 2024. The top two teams from each group advanced to the third round.
Third round: The four teams advancing from the second round played a three-match knockout round in March 2025. The winner, New Zealand, qualified for the World Cup and the runner-up, New Caledonia, advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.
==== Final positions (third round) ====
=== UEFA ===
The UEFA Executive Committee announced a new European qualification format on 25 January 2023. Teams will be drawn into twelve groups of four or five teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches from March to November 2025. The group winners will qualify for the World Cup, while the runners-up will participate in play-off matches, for a total of 16 teams qualifying for the finals.
The qualification draw took place on 13 December 2024 in Zürich, Switzerland. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's national team is currently suspended, and their exclusion was confirmed in a circular distributed by UEFA on 11 November 2024.
First round (group stage): Twelve groups of either four or five teams were drawn, with group winners qualifying for the World Cup.
Second round (play-off): Sixteen teams (twelve group runners-up and four best Nations League group winners, based on the Nations League overall ranking, that finished outside the top two of their qualifying group) will be drawn into four play-off paths, playing two rounds of single-match play-offs (semi-finals with the seeded teams to host, followed by finals, with the home teams to be drawn). The four path winners will qualify for the World Cup.
==== Current stage (first round) ====
== Inter-confederation play-offs ==
A play-off tournament involving six teams – one each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC and two from CONCACAF – will be held to decide the last two FIFA World Cup berths. The bottom four teams in the FIFA World Rankings will be drawn into two single-elimination matches. The winners of those matches will advance to play the top two teams in two single-elimination matches, and the winners will qualify for the World Cup. The play-offs will be held in March 2026 in North America, reportedly at two venues in Mexico.
=== Bracket ===
== Top goalscorers ==
There have been 1,933 goals scored in 701 matches, for an average of 2.76 goals per match (as of 9 September 2025). Players highlighted in bold are still active in the competition.
12 goals
10 goals
9 goals
8 goals
Below are goalscorer lists for all confederations:
== See also ==
2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
== References ==
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