FIFA World Cup 26 qualifying: All you need to know
Qualifying campaigns are now under way as nations vie for a place at biggest World Cup ever.
Qualification for FIFA World Cup 26™ started in September 2023
Paraguay v Peru was the first match on the long road to Canada, Mexico and USA
Find out more about how places at the expanded 48-nation tournament will be won and lost
It is only a couple of long goal-kicks from the Estadio Antonio Aranda, on the banks of the Parana river, to neighbouring Brazil. And it is here, in south-eastern Paraguay, where qualification for the FIFA World Cup 26™ got under way when the hosts welcomed Peru on 7 September, 2023.
Later that same evening, just 263 days after they lifted the trophy in Doha, Argentina kicked off their title defence as Ecuador made the trip to Buenos Aires.
Preliminary competitions for Africa and Asia also began before the end of 2023 as nations battle it out for coveted spots at the global finals.
Read more below about the qualifying process for the expanded 48-team tournament, which promises to be the most spectacular edition yet.
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 8
Play-off Tournament spots: 1
Teams qualified for FIFA World Cup 26: 0
Teams through to the third round of qualifying: Australia, IR Iran, Iraq, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan (6)
Teams eliminated: Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Guam, Hong Kong, Laus, Macau, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan (15)
There is huge anticipation across FIFA’s most populous confederation, with a record eight teams set for direct qualification and a further berth possible via the Play-off Tournament.
The first round of the FIFA World Cup 26 AFC qualification competition concluded on 17 October, 2023. The 20 lowest-ranked teams from the confederation contested 10 two-legged home-and-away ties, with the winners joining 26 other nations in the second round.
There are five qualifying rounds in total to determine the eight direct slots Asia has been awarded at the FIFA World Cup 26, with one additional nation progressing to the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
Click here to find out everything you need to know about the competition's format.
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 9
Play-off Tournament spots: 1
Teams qualified for FIFA World Cup 26: 0
Africa's preliminary tournament began on 15 November 2023.
The 53 CAF nations will compete in eight groups of six teams and one group of five, following Eritrea's withdrawal, with each of the group winners qualifying automatically for the FIFA World Cup 26.
The four best group runners-up will advance to a play-off stage to determine the Mother Continent's sole representative at the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
Automatically qualified nations: Canada, Mexico, USA (3)
Additional FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 3
Play-off Tournament spots: 2
Teams eliminated: US Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands (2)
Co-hosts Canada, Mexico and USA all receive automatic berths, leaving three direct slots and a possible further two via the Play-off Tournament up for grabs in Concacaf.
The qualification tournament began in March 2024, with the region's four lowest-ranked teams meeting in two-legged ties and the winners advancing.
In the second round, a total of 30 Concacaf sides will compete in six groups of five teams. The nations will play the other teams in their groups once. Each country will play two home matches and two away games. The group winners and runners-up (12 teams in total) will progress to the final round.
The 12 nations in the final round will be split into three groups of four teams. Within each group, teams will play each other home and away. The three group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, joining hosts Canada, Mexico and USA. The two best second-place finishers will qualify for the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 6
Play-off Tournament spots: 1
Teams qualified for FIFA World Cup 26: 0
CONMEBOL qualifying began on 7 September 2023 and will end in September 2025.
Ten teams are competing in a single league format and play each other home and away. The top six teams will qualify automatically for the World Cup, with the seventh-placed side entering the FIFA Play-Off Tournament. Click here for everything you need to know about the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 26 qualification tournament.
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 1
Play-off Tournament spots: 1
Teams qualified for FIFA World Cup 26: 0
For the very first time, Oceania will have a guaranteed qualification spot for the World Cup, as well as a second second slot via the Play-off Tournament.
The first of three preliminary rounds, which will involve the continent's four lowest-ranked nations, is due to take place in September 2024. A second stage, entailing two four-team groups, will then be played out over the next two months, before a decisive third round in March 2025 brings together four teams for semi-finals and finals that will determine OFC's World Cup and Play-off Tournament representatives.
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 16
Teams qualified for FIFA World Cup 26: 0
Europe's qualifying competition is scheduled to begin in March 2025 and conclude in March 2026.
The first round will follow a familiar format, with 12 groups of four or five teams, and the section winners securing World Cup slots. The continent's four remaining berths will then be settled in a 16-team UEFA play-off competition involving the 12 group runners-up and four best-ranked UEFA Nations League section winners.
The FIFA Play-off Tournament will see six sides fight it out for the final two places at the 23rd FIFA World Cup. It will involve two teams from Concacaf and one team apiece from the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC. The four lowest-ranked nations will meet in bracket semi-finals. The two highest-ranked teams will go directly into the finals. The winners of the two bracket finals will reach the FIFA World Cup 26.
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