Which nations have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?

In 2026, the World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico for the first time, expanding the field to 48 teams. Which nations have secured their spots? SPOX has the answer.

Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2026 by goal

Which nations have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
FBL-WC2026-EUR-DRAW

In 2026, the World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico for the first time, expanding the field to 48 teams. But which nations have actually qualified? SPOX has the answer!

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico. The group draw was held in December 2025, and the 48-team final tournament's full lineup has now been confirmed.

SPOX reveals which nations have qualified and which teams are taking part for the first time.

2026 World Cup: Which nations have qualified and who are making their debut? - Participants

In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, 45 nations have secured their places in the finals, whilst the three host nations – the USA, Mexico and Canada – were already guaranteed a spot.

In Asia, Japan made an early statement and became the first team to secure a World Cup place through the competitive route. In Europe, England secured top spot with six wins from six matches, while runners-up France soon joined them. Germany quelled any lingering doubts with a convincing victory over Slovakia, and Turkey eventually earned a berth via the play-offs after beating Kosovo in March.

Several nations are making their World Cup debuts: Uzbekistan has reached the tournament for the first time, while Jordan secured its place on 5 June 2025. Cape Verde and Curaçao also celebrate: Curaçao qualified for its first World Cup with a 0-0 draw against Jamaica.

Association	Countries
Europe	England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Scotland, Turkey, Czech Republic, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Africa	Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast, DR Congo
Asia and Australia	Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Jordan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq
South America	Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia
North and Central America	USA, Mexico, Canada, Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
Oceania	New Zealand

2026 World Cup: Which nations have qualified and which are making their debut? – The draw

The 2026 World Cup group draw was held on 5 December at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C. The draw determined the twelve group-stage groups, and you can view an overview of them here:

Group A	Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
Group B	Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C	Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D	Turkey, USA, Australia, Paraguay
Group E	Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F	Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G	Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H	Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia
Group I	France, Norway, Senegal, Iraq
Group J	Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K	Portugal, Colombia, DR Congo, Uzbekistan
Group L	England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

Which nations have qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
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2026 World Cup: Which nations have qualified and who are the first-time participants? – Format, group stage, Germany's opponents

The 48 teams competing in the upcoming World Cup have been drawn into four pots, determined by their latest FIFA world rankings. Each of the four pots contains twelve teams.

The three hosts – the USA, Canada and Mexico – were already confirmed in Pot 1. The remaining slots were filled according to the latest FIFA world rankings, including Germany after their qualifying-group win. That seeding advantage meant the DFB side avoided heavyweights like Argentina or France in the group stage.

Despite the favourable seeding, Germany still landed in a challenging group. Nevertheless, reaching the knockout stage remains the clear objective. Julian Nagelsmann's side open their campaign on 14 June against Curaçao, face the Ivory Coast six days later, and then conclude the group phase on 25 June against Ecuador.

2026 World Cup: Schedule

World Cup