The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is set to be one of the most exciting and expansive tournaments in the history of international football. Scheduled to begin on June 11, 2026, and culminating on July 19, 2026, this edition will be hosted jointly by three North American countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The opening match is slated to take place at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, while the grand final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New York City. This will mark the first time the World Cup is hosted by three nations simultaneously, as well as the first time since 1994 that the United States will host the men's tournament.
One of the most significant changes for the 2026 World Cup is the expansion of the tournament field. For the first time since 1998, the number of participating teams has increased from 32 to 48. This expansion is designed to allow more countries from across the globe the opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage, reflecting the sport’s growing global popularity. With nearly half of the qualification spots already filled, the race to the tournament is well underway, with many teams securing their places and others still battling through their confederation qualifiers.
The distribution of the 48 slots among FIFA’s six confederations reflects an effort to balance representation around the world. Europe’s confederation, UEFA, is guaranteed 16 places, up from 13 in previous tournaments. Africa’s confederation, CAF, will have nine spots, while Asia’s AFC gets eight. Both South America’s CONMEBOL and North, Central America and Caribbean’s Concacaf have a minimum of six places each. Notably, for the first time ever, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) receives a guaranteed spot, a major milestone for the region. The remaining two places will be decided through intercontinental playoffs featuring teams from various confederations.
Already, several historic qualifications have been secured. Uzbekistan, Jordan, and Cabo Verde have all booked their tickets to the World Cup for the first time ever. This is a remarkable achievement for these footballing nations, as competing on this global stage often boosts the sport’s profile and development in their home countries. Cabo Verde’s qualification is particularly notable given the size of its population—just over half a million people—making it the second-smallest country ever to qualify for a men’s World Cup, behind only Iceland, which had a population of roughly 350,000 when it qualified in 2018.
Beyond these first-time qualifiers, the tournament hosts—United States, Canada, and Mexico—automatically qualify, as is customary for World Cup hosting nations. This guarantees strong representation from the host nations and helps to build regional enthusiasm and support for the event.
Looking at the qualification processes by confederation provides insight into how teams have secured their spots and what remains to be decided. Within UEFA, the European qualifying rounds are highly competitive and feature some of the world’s strongest teams. Established football powerhouses such as England, Portugal, France, and Croatia have already secured their places by winning their respective qualifying groups. However, the road is not so straightforward for teams finishing second in their groups. These runners-up enter a playoff phase that is fiercely contested.
The UEFA playoff system for 2026 has been revamped to include 12 second-placed teams along with the four best group winners from the UEFA Nations League who have not already qualified. These 16 teams are divided into four paths, each featuring two rounds of single-elimination matches. The winners of each path earn a spot in the World Cup. This means that four additional UEFA teams will qualify through playoffs, making the competition to reach the finals intense until the very end of qualification. Notably, no UEFA teams will participate in the intercontinental playoffs, as their qualification is determined entirely through UEFA’s own system. These playoffs are scheduled to finish in March 2026.
The other confederations have their own distinct qualification paths. For example, in South America’s CONMEBOL region, the top six teams in the qualification standings will qualify directly. The same applies for Concacaf, which holds six guaranteed spots including the automatic qualifiers from the host nations.
The African and Asian qualifiers have also been progressing, with nine African teams and eight Asian teams set to make it to the tournament. The OFC, which traditionally had no guaranteed spots and relied