A quarter of the 2026 World Cup’s can be secured over the next three days.
In Europe, nine of UEFA’s 16 total World Cup spots can be secured during games played Nov. 16-18. In Concacaf, the three host nations — Canada, Mexico and the United States — are automatic qualifiers, but three others spots are up for grabs with seven squads still in contention.
So far, 30 nations have punched tickets to next summer’s 48-team tournament.
Here’s what to know about where qualifying stands for the 2026 World Cup, including which nations could secure berths next:
Who has qualified for World Cup 2026?
The 2026 World Cup will include 48 teams, a huge jump up from the 32 that participated in Qatar 2022. As November’s qualifiers play out, 30 nations have qualified.
Here is a complete list of every country to qualify for the 2026 World Cup:
Host nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Concacaf: None yet
Europe: England, France, Croatia
Oceania: New Zealand
South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
World Cup qualifying: Who could clinch a 2026 spot next?
Qualification is nearing its conclusion (the World Cup draw is Dec. 5, after all). Each confederation’s schedule and process mean each continent wraps up at different points – for example, spots in Africa, Asia and South America already have been claimed.
Austria: Austria — which hasn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1998 — can qualify if it avoids defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Nov. 18.
Belgium: The Red Devils can qualify for their fourth consecutive World Cup with a win over Liechtenstein on Nov. 18. Belgium also can qualify with a draw or loss to Liechtenstein, and if Wales draws with North Macedonia. If Belgium draws with Liechtenstein and Wales or North Macedonia also win, Belgium’s goal differential works in its favor (plus-6 over North Macedonia; plus-11 over Wales).
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosnia and Herzegovina — which last qualified for the World Cup in 2014 — needs to defeat Austria on Nov. 18.
Costa Rica: Costa Rica — which has qualified for five of the last six World Cups — needs to defeat Honduras and hope Haiti does not win against Nicaragua.
Curaçao: Curaçao needs to get a result on the road against Jamaica on Nov. 18 to qualify for its first World Cup.
Denmark: Denmark can qualify for its third consecutive World Cup by getting a result against Scotland on Nov. 18.
Germany: The four-time World Cup winners can qualify by avoiding defeat against Slovakia in Leipzig, Germany, on Nov. 17. Die Mannschaft are level on points with Slovakia heading into the group finale, but own the goal differential tiebreaker. Slovakia did defeat Germany, 2-0, when the two squads met in for a World Cup qualifier in September.
Haiti: Haiti — which hasn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1974 — can do so with a win over Nicaragua and if Honduras does not get a win over Costa Rica. Haiti can also qualify if they defeat Nicaragua by a margin that moves the Haitians ahead of Honduras on goal differential.
Honduras: Honduras needs a result against Costa Rica, and for Haiti to not get a win over Nicaragua. If Honduras defeats Costa Rica and Haiti wins against Nicaragua, then Haiti needs to overcome Honduras’ plus-two goal differential. Honduras has qualified for three World Cups in its history (1982, 2010 and 2014).
Hungary: Hungary — which hasn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1986 — can qualify with a win on Nov. 16 over the Republic of Ireland coupled with Portugal losing to Armenia. If Portugal draws with Armenia, Hungary can qualify by defeating Ireland by four or more goals.
Italy: The Azzurri — four-time World Cup winners — trail group leaders Norway by three points and by a hefty 17-goal difference. The Italians need to defeat Norway by nine or more goals at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milano, Italy, on Nov. 16. It appears the UEFA playoff might be Italy’s best shot at avoiding missing a third consecutive World Cup.
Jamaica: The Reggae Boyz haven’t qualified for a World Cup since 1998, and have a Nov. 18 showdown with Curaçao for Concacaf Group B bragging rights. Jamaica needs to win that game to qualify.
Kosovo: Kosovo needs to defeat Switzerland on Nov. 18, and also overcome a goal differential of 11 in order to qualify for its first World Cup as an independent nation.
Netherlands: The Oranje — which knocked the USMNT out of the 2022 World Cup during the Round of 16 — need to not lose against Lithuania on Nov. 17. It also can qualify if Malta gets a result against Poland, or if Poland defeats Malta but the Netherlands can retain its goal differential over Poland (plus-13 entering Nov. 17 games). The Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 and 2018 tournaments. In between, however, they were runners-up in 2010 and the third-place finisher in 2014.
North Macedonia: North Macedonia – which has never qualified for the World Cup as an independent nation – needs to defeat Wales and hope Liechtenstein wins against Belgium on Nov. 18 (it should be noted that Liechtenstein has seven losses in seven World Cup qualifiers so far). If Belgium draws with Liechtenstein, there is a scenario in which North Macedonia qualifies if it can overcome Belgium’s plus-6 goal differential.
Norway: It appears one of the game’s biggest stars — Erling Haaland — finally will play in his first World Cup. Norway is on the verge of its first World Cup berth since 1998 after beating Estonia a 4-1 in Oslo on Nov. 13. Norway sits atop UEFA Group I, three points ahead of Italy in second place and 17 goals better off of its Nov. 16 opponent.
Panama: Panama can qualify for just its second-ever World Cup (it qualified in 2018) with a win over El Salvador and if Guatemala gets a result against Suriname. If Panama draws with El Salvador, then it needs Suriname to lose to Guatemala. There’s a scenario in which Panama can qualify even if Suriname win, so long as Panama overcomes Suriname’s plus-three goal differential.
Poland: Poland needs to defeat Malta on Nov. 17 and hope Lithuania defeats the Netherlands, while also overturning the Netherlands’ huge goal difference advantage (plus-13). Poland has qualified for the previous two World Cups, and four of the last six tournaments.
Portugal: Portugal remains on the precipice of getting Cristiano Ronaldo to a record sixth World Cup, though it faltered in its first opportunity to clinch, losing to Ireland 2-0 on Nov. 13. Portugal still sits atop UEFA Group F and next faces Armenia on Nov. 16. A win gets Portugal in. Without a win, things get complicated for Portugal. Portugal can qualify if Hungary-Republic of Ireland ends in a draw. If Portugal draws against Armenia, it then needs Hungary to not defeat Ireland by four or more goal (or by a margin of three goals while outscoring Portugal on the final matchday by three or more goals). Another scenario has Portugal qualifying even with a loss to Armenia, but only if Ireland defeats Hungary by a margin that does not better Portugal’s goal difference or match Portugal’s combined goal difference and number of goals scored.
Republic of Ireland: The Republic of Ireland faces a slim shot at World Cup qualification. It needs to defeat Hungary on Nov. 16 by four or more goals and hope Armenia can defeat Portugal. If Ireland defeats Hungary, it also needs to better Portugal’s overall goal difference, or match Portugal’s combined goal difference and number of goals scored.
Slovakia: Slovakia hasn’t qualified for a World Cup since 2010, and needs a win over Germany to secure a spot in next summer’s tournament. The loser of the Germany-Slovakia game will need to qualify via UEFA’s playoff in March 2026. The runners-up from each of UEFA’s 12 groups qualify for the playoff, as well as the four best Nations League group winners that have not already qualified for the World Cup. Albania and Czechia already have qualified for that playoff tournament, which will determine UEFA’s final four World Cup bids.
Scotland: Scotland can qualify for its first World Cup since 1998 with a win over Denmark at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 18.
Spain: Spain are vying to qualify for its 13th consecutive World Cup. Spain prevailed 4-0 against Georgia on Nov. 15, and can secure a spot in next summer’s tournament with a result over Türkiye on Nov. 18. The reigning European champions haven’t gotten past the Round of 16 in the previous two World Cups.
Suriname: Suriname — which has never qualified for a World Cup — can do so by getting a result against Guatemala and if El Salvador gets a result against Panama. If Suriname defeats Guatemala and Panama defeats El Salavdor, then goal difference must remain in Suriname’s favor. If Suriname and Panama both lose, then goal differential also must remain in Suriname’s favor.
Switzerland: In order to reach their sixth consecutive World Cup, Switzerland needs a result against Kosovo on Nov. 18, or not lose its plus-11 goal differential edge over Kosovo.
Türkiye: Türkiye can qualify for the World Cup with a win over Spain on Nov. 18 by more than 14 goals. Türkiye hasn’t qualified for the World Cup since its third-place finish in the 2002 World Cup.
Wales: Wales — which made its first World Cup appearance in 64 years at the 2022 tournament in Qatar — needs to defeat North Macedonia and hope Liechtenstein defeats Belgium. If Belgium draws with Liechtenstein, there is a scenario in which Wales qualifies if it can overcome Belgium’s plus-11 goal differential.
World Cup qualifiers: How many spots for each region?
Here is a complete breakdown of how FIFA divided all 48 berths at the 2026 World Cup:
Host nations (3): Canada, Mexico and the United States all qualified as soon as they were picked to host the tournament.
Asia (8): Eight Asian countries have qualified. The Asian Football Confederation will place one team in the intercontinental playoff, with Iraq and the United Arab Emirates facing off for that last-chance ticket in a two-legged tie on Nov. 13 and Nov. 18.
Africa (9): African qualifying sorted 54 countries into nine groups of six (though Eritrea withdrew from Group E before play began). The nine group winners have qualified, while the four best runners-up — Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon and Nigeria — convene for a dramatic playoff in Morocco in November. Gabon faces Nigeria and Cameroon plays DR Congo on Nov. 13. The winners of those games play on Nov. 16 for a spot in the intercontinental playoff.
Concacaf (3): The region’s third round — featuring three groups of four — began play on Thursday, Sept. 4. Group winners qualify directly, while the two best runners-up will enter the intercontinental playoff.
Europe (16): UEFA qualifying features 54 teams broken up into 12 groups. Group winners qualify for the World Cup, while the second-place finishers (along with the top four teams from the UEFA Nations League who didn’t win their qualifying groups) will enter a playoff for Europe’s final four berths that is set for March 2026.
Oceania (1): New Zealand has already claimed Oceania’s only guaranteed berth at the 2026 World Cup, while New Caledonia is headed to the intercontinental playoff.
South America (6): CONMEBOL’s marathon qualifying tournament has concluded, with six teams getting places at the World Cup. A seventh (Bolivia) claimed the region’s spot in the intercontinental playoff.
Intercontinental playoff (2): New Caledonia and Bolivia have locked in spots in what will be a six-team tournament scheduled for March 2026. The tournament will be held in Mexico.