Who has qualified for World Cup 2026? Full list of teams heading to the United States, Canada & Mexico

World Cup trophy Christian Pulisic Edson Alvarez

GOAL breaks down all the confirmed qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, plus the teams who could soon be on their way.

The 2026 World Cup will feature a total of 48 teams for the first time in history, with FIFA opting to expand the 32-team tournament format that has been in place since the 1998 edition. That means more international teams than ever will converge upon the United States, Canada and Mexico for what promises to be a historic occasion.

UEFA is guaranteed 16 slots at the tournament, while CAF gets nine and AFC gets eight. There will be a minimum of six each from CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, while OFC has one guaranteed slot for the first time. The remaining two places will be decided through the intercontinental playoffs.

Here, GOAL brings you all the teams that have qualified for World Cup 2026:

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Who could qualify next?

Here is a picture of the various regional qualification campaigns and the teams that are close to securing qualification:

Qualifying in Asia moves onto its fourth and final round, with six teams - Saudi Arabia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Oman and Qatar - vying for the final two qualification spots. Fixtures begin in October.

See the full AFC World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

Though qualifying in Africa began back in November 2023, only six of the 10 rounds of group matches have been played, meaning the first confirmed participants at the tournament from the region will only begin to emerge in September. Semi-finalists in 2022, Morocco booked their spot on Friday after cruising to victory over Niger, while Egypt, South Africa, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Algeria could all qualify during the upcoming international break. Things are looking less positive for Nigeria, however, after the Super Eagles won just one of their first six games.

See the full CAF World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

With the United States, Canada and Mexico qualifying automatically as hosts, the CONCACAF qualification stage has a different complexion. The June window brought the curtain down on the second round before the decisive third round begins in September, with the likes of Costa Rica, Jamaica and Honduras expected to challenge for a place at the tournament.

Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia all sealed their spots at the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, with Uruguay beating Peru, Paraguay drawing Ecuador, and Colombia cruising past Bolivia. That leaves one automatic berth still available going into the final round, while Venezuela and Bolivia are battling for seventh place and a shot at the inter-confederation playoffs.

See the full CONEMBOL World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

With New Zealand having secured automatic qualification, New Caledonia advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs, which will be decided in March 2026.

See the full OFC World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

UEFA qualifying only got under way in March, though some teams won't kick-off their campaigns until September due to the Nations League. As such, no European qualifiers are expected until October at the earliest.

See the full UEFA World Cup 2026 qualifying picture here.

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Morocco

Morocco will return to the world stage in 2026 after breezing through their qualifying campaign to claim one of CAF's nine places at next summer's tournament. 

Africa's first nation to qualify is stacked with quality and they will be looking to repeat their run to the semi-finals in 2022 with the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Bilal El Khannouss and Nayef Aguerd leading the side. 

Having won all six of their opening games to top the group in a qualifying campaign that started back in 2023, Morocco will be full of confidence when they head Stateside next year. 

Colombia v Bolivia - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

Colombia

Colombia are back in the World Cup after their 3–0 win over Bolivia sealed a return to a tournament they last featured in in 2018. 

Icon James Rodríguez continues to make his mark, while the team now also features top talents like Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz and Wolverhampton’s Jhon Arias. Los Cafeteros will hope they can go one step further from their best showing in the tournament in 2014, where they made the quarterfinals.

Paraguay v Ecuador - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

Paraguay

Uruguay v Peru - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

Uruguay

Real Madrid's Federico Valverde leads the side, which is looking to turn heads at the 2026 World Cup with some up-and-coming stars like Facundo Pellistri.

Peru v Ecuador - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

Ecuador

Ecuador had to wait until 2002 to make their World Cup debut, but 2026 will mark their fifth appearance at the finals after a qualification campaign that saw them overcome a three-point deduction to secure a top-six finish in the CONMEBOL table.

Moises Caicedo is the star of an improving side, and there will be high hopes of them reaching the knockout stages for just the second time.

Brazil v Paraguay - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

Brazil

Brazil have continued their perfect record of qualification, securing their 23rd‑straight appearance in the world’s biggest sporting event.

Despite their success in reaching the tournament, the Selecao haven’t won it since 2002 - a long drought for the five‑time champions, who remain the most decorated nation since the World Cup began in 1930.

Saudi Arabia v Australia - 2026 FIFA World Cup Round Three AFC Asian Qualifier

Australia

Australia are into their sixth-successive World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia to the final automatic spot in AFC Group C.

The Socceroos boast a rather experienced squad but have a few talents coming to the fore who may be ready in time for 2026.

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Jordan

Jordan have qualified for the first-ever World Cup after they beat Iraq in June 2025 to attain a top-two finish in Group B of the third round of AFC qualifying.

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South Korea

South Korea have qualified for their 11th consecutive World Cup as they look to go one better compared to the last tournament when they lost to Brazil in the last 16.

With the likes of Tottenham's Son Heung-min, Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan, Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in, South Korea will be hoping to fight deeper into the tournament.

Uzbekistan qualify for the 2026 World Cup

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan have qualified for their first-ever World Cup, having finished in the top two in Group A of the AFC's third-round of qualifiers.

Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan did not see its national team take part in a World Cup qualifying campaign until 1997. Now, they are off to the 2026 World Cup.

Uruguay v Argentina - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

Argentina

It was never really in doubt, but Argentina will officially be able to defend their crown in 2026 after securing progression from CONMEBOL qualifying.

La Albiceleste will be on the hunt for a fourth title, while they can become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy in what will surely be Lionel Messi's final World Cup.

Iran v UAE: Group C - AFC Asian Cup

Iran

Iran have sealed their spot at a fourth-successive World Cup as they aim to go beyond the group stage at the finals for the first time in their history.

Mehdi Taremi is still knocking in goals at the age of 32 and will again be tasked with leading Team Melli in North America.

Chris Wood New Zealand World Cup 2026 qualification

New Zealand

The All Whites will be heading to the World Cup for the third time in their history after securing qualification from the OFC section.

New Zealand previously competed in the 1982 and 2010 World Cups, so the current crop of players - led by the free-scoring Nottingham Forest star Chris Wood - will be keen to make their presence felt after a 16-year absence.

Japan v Bahrain - FIFA World Cup Asian 3rd Qualifier

Japan

Japan have qualified for a seventh consecutive World Cup, having booked their place by finishing top of their group in the AFC third round of qualifying.

With the likes of Takefusa Kubo, Wataru Endo, Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Doan in their ranks, the Samurai Blue will hope to go beyond the round of 16 for the first time.

Alphonso Davies Canada Copa America 2024

Canada

Canada will feature in the men's World Cup for the third time in their history, thanks to the fact that they are one of the tournament's co-hosts. The 2026 edition will be their second tournament in a row, having competed in Qatar 2022.

With players such as Alphonso Davies, Stephen Eustaquio and Jonathan David in their ranks, Canada will be eager to make history on home soil by getting out of the groups.

Edson Alvarez Mexico 2024

Mexico

The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be the third time Mexico has served as the host country, having previously hosted iconic tournaments in 1970 and 1986.

El Tri are well-accustomed to the World Cup stage and this will be their 18th appearance. However, they have never got past the quarter-final stage and will be aiming to upset the odds by mounting a genuine charge at glory.

Christian Pulisic USMNT

United States

Like Canada and Mexico, the United States are automatic qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup by virtue of being joint hosts. It will be the USMNT's 12th appearance on this stage, and fans will be hopeful that they can go further into the knockout stage this time around.

Boasting stars such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, Mauricio Pochettino's side will be quietly confident of their ability to match the best teams in the world despite some recent tournament disappointments.