2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification is the qualifying process which will decide the 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.
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: 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
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 14:00 MST (UTC+8) 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 advance to the third round.
Third round: The eighteen teams that advance from the second round will be divided into three groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the third-placed and fourth-placed teams of each group will advance to the fourth round.
Fourth round: The six teams that advance from the third round will be divided into two groups of three teams each to play a single round-robin. The winners will qualify for the World Cup.
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.
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.
Second round
CAF
The draw was held on 13 July 2023 at 15:00 GMT (UTC±0) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. All 54 FIFA-affiliated football associations from CAF have entered qualification.
The CAF Executive Committee announced a new African qualification format on 19 May 2023.
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.
First round
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 rankings of November 2023, will be divided into two matchups, played on a two-legged home-and-away basis. The two winners will advance 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 rankings of November 2023, will be drawn into six groups of five teams. They will play single round-robin matches (two home and two away), with group winners and runners-up qualifying for the third round.
Third round: The twelve teams advancing from the second round will be 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.
CONMEBOL
On 22 August 2022, CONMEBOL petitioned FIFA to keep the qualification format which had been used since the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification, viz. 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.
Prior to the commencement of the qualification competition, Ecuador were deducted 3 points for falsifying birth documents for Byron Castillo in the previous World Cup qualification cycle.
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 will play a knockout round in September 2024. The winner will advance to the second round.
Second round: The winning team from the first round will join the seven teams in two four-team groups in October and November 2024. The top two teams from each group will advance to the third round.
Third round: The four teams advancing from the second round will play a knockout round in March 2025 with the winner qualifying for the World Cup and the runner-up going to the inter-confederation play-offs.
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. The winner of each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will participate in play-off matches.
Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's national team is currently suspended and their participation is yet to be confirmed.
First round (group stage): Twelve groups of either four or five teams with group winners qualifying for the World Cup finals.
Play-off stage: 16 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 playoffs (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 finals.
Inter-confederation play-offs
A play-off tournament involving six teams will be held to decide the last two FIFA World Cup berths: these consist of one team per confederation, except for UEFA, and one additional team from the confederation of the host countries (CONCACAF).
Two of the teams will be seeded based on the World Rankings, and these seeded teams will play for a FIFA World Cup berth against the winners of the first two knockout games involving the four unseeded teams.
The four-game tournament is to be played in one or more of the host countries and to be used as a test event for the FIFA World Cup.
Top goalscorers
Below are goalscorer lists for all confederations and the inter-confederation play-offs:
AFC
CONMEBOL
Notes
References
Qualification
FIFA World Cup qualification