2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will be the qualifying process which will decide the teams that will join hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
Tournament details
Dates2023 – March 2026
Teams211 (from 6 confederations)

Qualified countries
  Teams qualified
  Team whose qualification process has yet to be decided
  Teams failed to qualify
  Teams withdrew or suspended
  Not a FIFA member
Team Method of
qualification		 Date of
qualification		 Finals
appearance		 Last
time
qualified		 Current
consecutive
appearances[note 1]		 Previous best
performance
 CanadaHosts14 February 2023[note 2]3rd20222Group stage (1986, 2022)
 MexicoHosts14 February 2023[note 2]18th20229Quarter-finals (1970, 1986)
 United StatesHosts14 February 2023[note 2]12th20222Third place (1930)

Notes

  1. Including the 2026 World Cup
  2. Although the United bid was selected on 13 June 2018, the automatic berths allocated to the hosts were not confirmed until a decision by the FIFA Council on 14 February 2023.[1]

Qualification process

On 9 May 2017, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation scheme for the new 48-team final format.[2]

Summary of qualification
Confederation Available slots in finals Teams started Teams eliminated Teams qualified Qualifying start date Qualifying end date
AFC8 or 946+1[lower-alpha 1]0+1012 October 2023October 2025
CAF9 or 105400TBDNovember 2025
CONCACAF3, 4 or 5 +332+300+3TBDNovember 2025
CONMEBOL6 or 710002023November 2025
OFC1 or 21100TBDNovember 2025
UEFA165500March 2025March 2026
Total45+3208+1+30+10+32023March 2026
  1. The Northern Mariana Islands will compete in World Cup qualification, as it is used as joint qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. They are ineligible to qualify for the World Cup as they are not a member of FIFA, only of the AFC.

Confederation qualification

AFC
Main article: 2026 FIFA World Cup 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.[3]

The qualification structure is as follows:

  • First round:[note 1] Twenty-two teams (ranked 26–47) will play home-and-away over two legs. The eleven winners advance to the second round.
  • Second round:[note 2] Thirty-six teams (those ranked 1–25 and the eleven first-round winners) are 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:[note 3] The eighteen teams that advance from the second round are divided into three groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group qualify for the World Cup, while the third-placed and fourth-placed teams of each group advance to the fourth round.
  • Fourth round:[note 4] The six teams that advance from the third round are divided into two groups of three teams each to play a single round-robin. The winners qualify for the World Cup.
  • Fifth round:[note 4] The group runners-up in the previous round will compete in a play-off tie to determine the Asian representation at the inter-confederation play-offs.

CAF

To be decided.

CONCACAF

Three nations in CONCACAF are automatically qualified as host nations. The qualification system for the remaining slots is to be determined.

CONMEBOL
Main article: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

On 22 August 2022, CONMEBOL petitioned FIFA to keep the current qualification format, which has been used since the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.[4][5][6][7] This was confirmed, with the first games of the qualifiers to be played in 2023.[8]

Prior to the commencement of the qualification competition, Ecuador were deducted 3 points and fined CHF 100,000 for falsifying birth documents for Byron Castillo in the previous World Cup qualification cycle.[9]

OFC

For the first time, the OFC will be granted one guaranteed slot directly into the World Cup, as opposed to the OFC winner having to play an intercontinental play-off in the qualification process. A format for the upcoming World Cup is to be decided.

UEFA
Main article: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (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. The winner of each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will either qualify directly or participate in play-off matches.[10]

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.

Inter-confederation play-offs

A play-off tournament involving six teams will be held to decide the last two FIFA World Cup berths:[11] 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.

Notes
  1. On the official AFC website, it is listed as Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1
  2. On the official AFC website, it is listed as Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2
  3. On the official AFC website, it is listed as AFC Asian Qualifiers
  4. On the official AFC website, it is listed as Asian Playoff

    References
    1. "FIFA Council highlights record breaking revenue in football". FIFA. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
    2. "FIFA Council prepares Congress, takes key decisions for the future of the FIFA World Cup". FIFA. 9 May 2017. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017.
    3. "Asia's pathway to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 confirmed". AFC. 1 August 2022.
    4. "Conselho da Conmebol solicita à Fifa que mantenha formato atual das Eliminatórias para 2026". ge (in Portuguese). globo.com. 22 August 2022.
    5. "CONMEBOL's petition for the 2026 World Cup that could change FIFA's entire plans". Bolavip. 22 August 2022.
    6. "CONCACAF learn the number of qualification places for 2026 World Cup". MARCA. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
    7. "Países sudamericanos pedirán a la FIFA mantener el formato de las Eliminatorias" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 22 August 2022.
    8. "Conmebol confirmó fecha para el inicio de las Eliminatorias 2026". Bolavip (in Spanish). 4 October 2022.
    9. "The CAS confirms the eligibility of the player Byron Castillo (Ecuador) but imposes sanctions against the Ecuadorian Football Federation for a violation of the FIFA regulations" (PDF). Court of Arbitration for Sport. 8 November 2022.
    10. "New formats for UEFA men's national team competitions approved". UEFA. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
    11. "Bureau of the Council recommends slot allocation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup". FIFA. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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