2026 FIFA World Cup: Who Has Certified? Who Can Make It?

What to anticipate in September matches:

Asia (AFC) — Six international locations within the area – Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Uzbekistan and South Korea are set. However there’s nonetheless two direct spots left. Qatar, the UAE, and Oman are in a single group with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia within the different. These video games will likely be performed via September and October. 

South America (CONMEBOL) — Uruguay, Colombia, and Paraguay are attempting to e-book their direct spots. Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador are already in. Venezuela, Peru, and Bolivia are within the combine for the intercontinental playoff spot. Chile is eradicated. 

Europe (UEFA) — No groups have certified but. Spain, France, Germany, and Portugal will lastly kick off their qualifying campaigns in September. Different heavyweights like England, Italy and the Netherlands have already begun.

North America/Central America/Caribbean (CONCACAF) — Except for the three co-hosts, nobody from this area has booked their spot but. There are 12 groups (cut up into three teams) who’ll start a round-robin part that runs via November. The three group winners will head on to the World Cup. Search for groups like Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Honduras to be among the many contenders. 

Africa (CAF) — There are 9 teams of six groups, however nobody has clinched a direct spot but. Egypt has a large lead in its qualifying group, as do different contenders like Morocco and Senegal. Count on these groups to shut it out in September. 

Oceania (OFA) — That is executed and dusted, with New Zealand already in and having this confederation’s solely direct spot. The tiny island of New Caledonia, formally a French abroad territory, nonetheless has a shot as a participant within the intercontinental playoff. 

The intercontinental playoffs, defined:

Forward of the World Cup, two spots will likely be clinched within the playoffs that can happen in March 2026. Six groups will take part, with Europe (UEFA) being excluded from this spherical:

• 1 Africa (TBD)
• 1 Asia (TBD)
• 2 North and Central America/Caribbean (TBD)
• 1 Oceania (New Caledonia)
• 1 South America (TBD)

The 2 groups with the very best FIFA rankings will get byes to the 2 separate finals. The opposite 4 groups will face one another to achieve these finalists. The 2 groups to emerge from this playoff spherical will go to the World Cup. 

Area-by-region breakdown:

AFC (Asia)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify? 
8 mechanically, 1 enters the playoffs

Who’s in?
Australia, Iran, Jordan, Japan, South Korea, Uzbekistan

What’s occurred to this point?

The qualifying match in Asia began again in October 2023 with 46 groups collaborating. After three rounds of qualifying, six groups have booked World Cup spots, with two extra direct spots up (and one playoff berth) up for grabs when Spherical 4 begins in September. Full standings will be discovered right here. 

Spherical 4 consists of six groups (the third- and fourth-placed groups from Spherical 3), and cut up into two teams. These group winners advance to the World Cup. 

The primary group will likely be: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman 
The second group will likely be: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Indonesia

The runners-up go to Spherical 5, with the winner then heading to the intercontinental playoff.  

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CAF (Africa)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify?
9 mechanically, 1 enters the playoffs

Who’s in?
None certified but

What’s occurred to this point?

The qualifying course of picks again up in September. There are 54 groups (now diminished to 52) cut up into 9 teams of six groups every. 

The 9 group winners will advance on to the World Cup, and the 4 greatest second-place groups will struggle for an intercontinental playoff spot. On the midway level of the qualification part, there are many prime groups accountable for their respective teams. 

Groups like Egypt and South Africa are accountable for their respective teams for the second. Morocco, the 2022 World Cup shock semifinals, are additionally in management of their group. 

The one wrinkle is Group E – which has been diminished to 4 groups after the disqualification of Congo and Eritrea – and the way that would doubtlessly have an effect on whoever finishes in second place, since it could not have sufficient factors to be thought-about for the intercontinental playoff part. 

Listed here are the highest two groups from every group, as issues stand. Full standings will be discovered right here.

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CONCACAF (North & Central America and the Caribbean)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify?
6 mechanically (3 co-hosts, 3 via qualifying), 2 enter the playoffs

Who’s in?
Canada, Mexico, United States

What’s occurred to this point?

The three co-hosts are in, leaving three extra computerized spots for the area. There are additionally two spots for the intercontinental playoff to be decided. Initially, 32 groups started the method, with 30 groups – six teams of 5 groups – advancing into the second spherical of qualification, which concluded in June. The highest two groups from every group superior to Spherical 3. 

Spherical 3 will start in September with three teams of 4 groups. The winners transfer onto the World Cup, and the 2 greatest runners-up get intercontinental playoff spots. Full standings will be discovered right here. 

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CONMEBOL (South America)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify?
6 mechanically, 1 enters the playoffs

Who’s in?
Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador

What’s occurred to this point?

Three groups from the 10-team area have clinched, with Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador shifting onto the World Cup. Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia nonetheless have work to do to qualify immediately. Venezuela at the moment holds the playoff spot. 

Bolivia and Peru nonetheless have a small window to get the playoff spot, however Chile is formally eradicated. 

Here is how the present desk stands. Groups which have certified have an asterisk (*). Full standings will be discovered right here. 

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OFC (Oceania)

What number of World Cup groups have certified?
1 mechanically, 1 enters the playoffs

Who’s in?
New Zealand, New Caledonia (playoff staff)

What’s occurred to this point:

The 11-team qualifying match from this area, consisting of nations and territories within the South Pacific, concluded in March. One staff emerged from Spherical 1, becoming a member of the seven top-ranked groups of the area. These eight groups have been cut up into two teams for Spherical 2, with the highest two groups from every group advancing to the semifinals. 

Semifinals, March 21
New Caledonia 3, Tahiti 0
New Zealand 7, Fiji 0

Ultimate, March 24
New Zealand 3, New Caledonia 0

New Zealand will head to the World Cup, whereas New Caledonia will likely be one of many six groups within the intercontinental playoff. Full standings will be discovered right here. 

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UEFA (Europe)

What number of World Cup groups can qualify?
16 (12 mechanically, 4 via a UEFA-only playoff)

Who’s in?
None certified but

What’s occurred to this point:

There are 54 (excluding Russia) groups who started the qualifying course of in March. Some notable groups have already begun the qualifying course of – together with England, Italy, and the Netherlands. Different prime groups – France, Germany, Spain, Portugal – lastly start the method in September. 

In all, there are 12 teams of both 4 or 5 groups every. The winner of every group will clinch World Cup spots.

The 12 runners-up transfer to a subsequent playoff spherical, added by the 4 best-ranked Nations League group winners that didn’t end their World Cup qualifying group in first or second place. These 16 groups will then be bracketed to clinch the remaining 4 World Cup spots in March 2026.

European groups can’t attain the World Cup by way of the intercontinental playoff.

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