Qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup began on October 12, 2023, when Asian qualifying got underway. The first goal of the entire campaign was scored by Myanmar’s Lwin Moe Aung in a 5-1 victory over Macau.
Now the process is almost complete. Hosts the United States, Mexico, and Canada are already in the tournament, and most of the remaining places have now been filled. Only the last UEFA playoff berths and the intercontinental playoff spots remain to be decided before the full 48-team lineup is confirmed.
Japan became the first nation to qualify through the normal process in March 2025. The final teams will now be settled through playoff matches at the end of March 2026.
Teams already qualified
So far, 39 of the 45 non-host qualification places have been taken.
Europe (12 of 16 qualified):
England, France, Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, Belgium
Concacaf (3 of 3 direct spots):
Panama, Curaçao, Haiti
Africa (9 of 9):
Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Asia (8 of 8):
Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
South America (6 of 6):
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
Oceania (1 of 1):
New Zealand
Intercontinental playoff winners (0 of 2):
Still to be decided
What is still undecided?
Two parts of qualification are still open:
UEFA playoffs
Eight European teams are still fighting for the last four European places. Their playoff finals are scheduled for March 31.
Path A
Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0
Bosnia and Herzegovina drew 1-1 with Wales, then won on penalties
Final: Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Path B
Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1
Poland beat Albania 2-1
Final: Sweden vs. Poland
Path C
Türkiye beat Romania 1-0
Kosovo beat Slovakia 4-3
Final: Türkiye vs. Kosovo
Path D
Denmark beat North Macedonia 4-0
Czechia drew 2-2 with the Republic of Ireland, then won on penalties
Final: Denmark vs. Czechia
Intercontinental playoffs
Two more World Cup spots will be awarded through intercontinental playoffs.
In the semifinals:
- Jamaica beat New Caledonia 1-0
- Bolivia beat Suriname 2-1
That means the two finals are:
- Jamaica vs. DR Congo
- Bolivia vs. Iraq
Both are set for March 31.
Intercontinental playoffs explained
Six teams entered the intercontinental playoff stage. One came from each confederation except UEFA, and Concacaf received an extra slot because it is the host confederation.
The six teams are:
- DR Congo (Africa)
- Iraq (Asia)
- Jamaica and Suriname (Concacaf)
- New Caledonia (Oceania)
- Bolivia (South America)
Because they had the highest FIFA rankings among the six, DR Congo and Iraq were seeded directly into the finals. The other four teams played semifinals for the right to face them.
The matchups were:
- New Caledonia vs. Jamaica, with the winner advancing to face DR Congo
- Bolivia vs. Suriname, with the winner advancing to face Iraq
Those playoff matches are being staged in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico.
Europe (UEFA)
World Cup allocation: 12 direct places plus 4 through playoffs
Qualified already: England, France, Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, Belgium
A total of 55 European nations exist, although only 54 took part because Russia remained suspended following the invasion of Ukraine.
The European qualifying format featured 12 groups of four or five teams playing home-and-away matches. That group phase concluded in November 2025, and the 12 group winners qualified automatically.
The 12 runners-up moved into the playoff system, joined by four UEFA Nations League group winners who had not already finished in the top two of their qualifying groups.
What remains in Europe?
The final four European places will be awarded through the UEFA playoffs. Unlike the other confederations, Europe has no access to the intercontinental playoff route.
The 16 playoff teams were split into four paths of four teams each. Every path contains:
- two one-leg semifinals
- one-legged final
Win two matches, and you qualify for the World Cup.
The playoff teams were:
Italy, Denmark, Türkiye, Ukraine, Poland, Wales, Czechia, Slovakia, Albania, the Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, plus Nations League entrants Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, and Northern Ireland.
UEFA playoff finals
- Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Italy
- Sweden vs. Poland
- Kosovo vs. Türkiye
- Czechia vs. Denmark
All four finals are set for Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
European playoff schedule and viewing
The finals kick off at 7:45 p.m. GMT and, according to the source text, are available in the UK through Amazon Prime Video pay-per-view.
Where the winners will go in the World Cup draw
Each playoff path winner has already been assigned a World Cup group:
- Path A winner: Group B with Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland
- Path B winner: Group E with the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia
- Path C winner: Group C with the United States, Paraguay, and Australia
- Path D winner: Group A with Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea
North America, Central America, and the Caribbean (Concacaf)
World Cup allocation: 3 direct places plus 2 intercontinental playoff places
Qualified already: Panama, Curaçao, Haiti
Normally Concacaf would have six automatic places, but three of those are occupied by the host nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. That left three direct qualification spots and two intercontinental playoff places to contest.
Thirty-two nations entered qualifying.
Format
Round 1: The four lowest-ranked teams played two-legged ties. Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands advanced on penalties.
Round 2: The top 28 teams joined those two winners. They were placed into six groups of five and played each other once. This phase took place across June 2024 and June 2025.
The 12 teams that advanced were:
Bermuda, Costa Rica, Curaçao, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago
Round 3: Those 12 teams were drawn into three groups of four. Matches were played from September to November 2025.
The three group winners qualified directly:
- Panama
- Curaçao
- Haiti
The two best runners-up moved into the intercontinental playoffs:
- Jamaica
- Suriname
Africa (CAF)
World Cup allocation: 9 direct places plus 1 intercontinental playoff place
Qualified already: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Fifty-four FIFA-affiliated African nations were originally involved, though Eritrea later withdrew.
Format
The first stage featured nine groups: eight groups of six teams and one group of five after Eritrea’s exit. The nine group winners qualified directly for the World Cup, and the four best runners-up advanced to a playoff stage.
That group phase began in November 2023 and ended in October 2025.
CAF playoff
The four best runners-up met in November 2025:
- Nigeria beat Gabon 4-1
- DR Congo beat Cameroon 1-0
In the final:
- Nigeria drew 1-1 with DR Congo
- DR Congo won on penalties
That sent DR Congo into the intercontinental playoffs.
Asia (AFC)
World Cup allocation: 8 direct places plus 1 intercontinental playoff place
Qualified already: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Asian qualifying was the most complex of all the confederations, with multiple stages and two group phases before the automatic places were finalized.
Round 1
The 20 lowest-ranked nations played home-and-away ties in October 2023. Ten teams advanced.
Round 2
Those 10 teams joined the 26 top-ranked sides, creating 36 teams in nine groups of four. The top two in each group progressed. That stage ran from November 2023 through June 2024.
The 18 teams that advanced were:
Australia, Bahrain, China, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan
Round 3
The remaining 18 sides were drawn into three groups of six, beginning in September 2024. The top two in each group claimed the first six Asian World Cup places.
Japan was the first team from this stage to qualify, followed by Iran, Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Australia.
Round 4
The six remaining sides were divided into two groups of three and played in a centralized format in October 2025. The group winners, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, claimed the final two automatic Asian places.
Round 5
The runners-up from Round 4, UAE and Iraq, met in a two-legged playoff in November 2025. Iraq advanced after a 1-1 first-leg draw and a dramatic late penalty in the return match.
That result put Iraq into the intercontinental playoffs.
South America (CONMEBOL)
World Cup allocation: 6 direct places plus 1 intercontinental playoff place
Qualified already: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
As usual in South America, all 10 nations played each other home and away. The top six qualified automatically, and the team that finished seventh advanced to the intercontinental playoffs.
The league-style qualifying campaign started in September 2023 and finished in September 2025.
Bolivia finished seventh and therefore moved into the intercontinental playoffs.
Oceania (OFC)
World Cup allocation: 1 direct place plus 1 intercontinental playoff place
Qualified already: New Zealand
All 11 Oceania members took part.
Round 1
The four lowest-ranked sides played a knockout tournament in Samoa in September 2024. Samoa emerged from this phase.
Round 2
Samoa joined the seven highest-ranked teams to form two groups of four. Matches were played in October and November 2024 across Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu.
The top two from each group advanced:
- New Caledonia
- Tahiti
- New Zealand
- Fiji
Round 3
Those four teams then played a knockout phase in New Zealand in March 2025.
Semifinals:
- New Caledonia 3-0 Tahiti
- New Zealand 7-0 Fiji
Final:
- New Zealand 3-0 New Caledonia
That sent New Zealand directly to the World Cup, while New Caledonia advanced to the intercontinental playoffs.
European playoffs: how they work and who is left
The European playoffs are the last major UEFA hurdle before the tournament. Sixteen teams entered, made up of 12 qualifying runners-up and four Nations League teams.
Teams in the playoffs
Runners-up: Slovakia, Kosovo, Denmark, Ukraine, Türkiye, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Wales, Albania, Czechia
Nations League qualifiers: Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland
Format
The playoffs are split into four separate paths, A through D. Each path has:
- two single-leg semifinals
- one single-leg final
Only the winner of each path reaches the World Cup.
Finalists
The semifinal winners were:
- Italy
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Sweden
- Poland
- Türkiye
- Kosovo
- Denmark
- Czechia
So the finals are:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Italy
- Sweden vs. Poland
- Kosovo vs. Türkiye
- Czechia vs. Denmark
Main storylines
Italy is trying to avoid missing a third straight World Cup. Sweden and Poland meet in what looks like one of the most balanced finals. Türkiye is chasing a first World Cup appearance since 2002, while Kosovo is trying to reach a major tournament for the first time.
African storylines around the final World Cup place
With Africa’s nine direct places already assigned, the continent’s last remaining path is through DR Congo in the intercontinental playoffs.
DR Congo’s chance
DR Congo is one victory away from helping Africa send a 10th team to the World Cup. They enter the playoff final as one of the seeded nations and will face Jamaica. The team has improved significantly under Sébastien Desabre and is chasing its first World Cup appearance since 1974.
Nigeria looking ahead
Nigeria did not qualify for the World Cup and is instead using this international break to begin a fresh cycle. After an encouraging AFCON run under Eric Chelle, attention has turned toward building toward AFCON 2027. Friendlies against Iran and Jordan offer a chance to reset and test new options.
Egypt without Salah
Egypt faces Saudi Arabia in a friendly, but do so without Mohamed Salah, who was left out with a muscle injury. There is also fresh attention on his future after his announcement that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
Morocco under a new coach
Morocco, now under Mohamed Ouahbi after Walid Regragui’s departure, enters this window under scrutiny. Their upcoming matches against Ecuador and Paraguay will be the first indicators of how the team looks in this new era.
Senegal regrouping
Senegal is preparing for another World Cup campaign and will use this break to stabilize after a turbulent period surrounding the AFCON controversy. Friendlies against Peru and Gambia will help them refocus ahead of the finals.
South Africa vs. Panama preview
South Africa is playing Panama twice during this international window, first in Durban and then in Cape Town.
Match details
- Date: Friday, March 27, 2026
- Kickoff: 19:00 CAT
- Venue: Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
- Broadcast: SABC Sport
South African context
This is South Africa’s first action since their 2-1 AFCON round-of-16 defeat to Cameroon. Coach Hugo Broos admitted that standards during the tournament were not where he expected them to be, pointing in particular to issues around quality, mentality, and discipline.
He has recalled players such as Themba Zwane, Thapelo Maseko, and Bongokuhle Hlongwane, while others have been left out due to form, fitness, or off-field reasons.
Team news
Broos suggested that MLS-based players Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Mbekezeli Mbokazi may be more involved in the second game against Panama because of travel fatigue. Injuries and absences at center-back also create opportunities for others.
Expected South Africa lineup
Ronwen Williams; Aubrey Modiba, Ime Okon, Khulumani Ndamane, Khuliso Mudau; Thalente Mbatha, Teboho Mokoena; Oswin Appollis, Relebohile Mofokeng, Thapelo Maseko; Lyle Foster
Expected Panama lineup
Orlando Mosquera; Éric Davis, Jiovany Ramos, José Córdoba, Martín Krug, Amir Murillo; Carlos Harvey, Aníbal Godoy; César Yanis, Kadir Barría, Yoel Bárcenas
Notable stat
The last meeting between the two sides came in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals, when Panama advanced on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Final picture
The 2026 World Cup field is nearly complete. Most confederations have already finalized their representatives, and only a handful of places remain.
What is left:
- Four European playoff winners
- Two intercontinental playoff winners
Once those six spots are settled, the full 48-team World Cup lineup will be complete.
If you want, I can also turn this into a shorter, polished article, a news-style rewrite, or a simple bullet-point summary.
