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World Cup 2026 · 48 qualified teams

World Cup 2026 · 48 qualified teams

48 qualified slots — sorted by confederation.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first 48-team edition. This overview lists every qualified team by confederation (UEFA, CAF, AFC, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, OFC) with group letter and qualification path. Confirmed via the final draw on 2025-12-05.
Browse by groupWatch hub

Slot allocation

48 teams · 12 groups
UEFA 16 + CAF 9 + AFC 8
CONMEBOL 6 + CONCACAF 6 + OFC 1
+ 2 inter-confederation play-off slots

By confederation

UEFA (Europe)

16 teams · 16 direct slots
CZECzechia
Group A

UEFA play-off winner

BIHBosnia and Herzegovina
Group B

UEFA play-off winner

SUISwitzerland
Group B
SCOScotland
Group C
TURTürkiye
Group D

UEFA play-off winner

GERGermany
Group E
NEDNetherlands
Group F
SWESweden
Group F

UEFA play-off winner

BELBelgium
Group G
ESPSpain
Group H
FRAFrance
Group I
NORNorway
Group I
AUTAustria
Group J
PORPortugal
Group K
ENGEngland
Group L
CROCroatia
Group L

CAF (Africa)

10 teams · 9 direct slots
RSASouth Africa
Group A
MARMorocco
Group C
CIVCôte d’Ivoire
Group E
TUNTunisia
Group F
EGYEgypt
Group G
CPVCape Verde
Group H
SENSenegal
Group I
ALGAlgeria
Group J
CODDR Congo
Group K

Inter-confederation play-off winner

GHAGhana
Group L

AFC (Asia)

9 teams · 8 direct slots + 1 inter-confederation play-off
KORSouth Korea
Group A
QATQatar
Group B
AUSAustralia
Group D
JPNJapan
Group F
IRNIran
Group G
KSASaudi Arabia
Group H
IRQIraq
Group I

Inter-confederation play-off winner

JORJordan
Group J
UZBUzbekistan
Group K

CONMEBOL (South America)

6 teams · 6 direct slots + 1 inter-confederation play-off
Group J
Group C
PARParaguay
Group D
ECUEcuador
Group E
URUUruguay
Group H
COLColombia
Group K

CONCACAF (North America, Central America, Caribbean)

6 teams · 3 host slots + 3 direct slots + 2 inter-confederation play-off
Group D

Co-host (automatic qualification)

Group A

Co-host (automatic qualification)

CANCanada
Group B

Co-host (automatic qualification)

HAIHaiti
Group C
CUWCuraçao
Group E
PANPanama
Group L

OFC (Oceania)

1 teams · 1 direct slot
NZLNew Zealand
Group G

FAQ

48 qualified teams: FAQs

How are the 2026 World Cup slots allocated across confederations?

48 slots are distributed: UEFA (Europe) 16 direct, CAF (Africa) 9, AFC (Asia) 8, CONMEBOL (South America) 6, CONCACAF (North America, Central America, Caribbean) 3 host + 3 direct, OFC (Oceania) 1, plus 2 inter-confederation play-off slots (AFC 1, CONMEBOL 1, CONCACAF 2, OFC 1, CAF 1 enter a six-team play-off tournament for those 2 spots). All slots are confirmed via the final draw on 2025-12-05.

Which teams are making their World Cup debut in 2026?

New 2026 entrants include Cape Verde (CAF), Curaçao (CONCACAF), and Uzbekistan (AFC) — each making their first FIFA World Cup appearance. The 48-team expansion opened slots for more smaller nations.

Which teams qualified via play-off or inter-confederation play-off?

UEFA play-off winners: Czechia (Group A), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B), Türkiye (Group D), Sweden (Group F). Inter-confederation play-off winners: Iraq (Group I), DR Congo (Group K). These slots were filled before the final group draw.

Who are the three co-hosts? Do they qualify automatically?

Canada, Mexico, and the United States co-host the tournament; all three qualify automatically. Mexico is in Group A, Canada is in Group B, and the USA is in Group D.

How many teams advance from each group?

The top two from each of 12 groups (24 teams) advance directly to the round of 32, joined by the eight best third-place teams — 32 teams total reach the knockout stage. This is the first World Cup since the 1986 24-team format to bring third-place teams forward.

Related pages

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