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[Awards Review]
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▶ FIFA World Cup 26 qualifying: All you need to know
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[2025/06/14 ]
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It is only a couple of long goal-kicks from the Estadio Antonio Aranda, on the banks of the Parana river, to neighbouring Brazil. And it is here, in south-eastern Paraguay, where qualification for the FIFA World Cup 26™ got under way when the hosts welcomed Peru on 7 September 2023.
Later that same evening, just 263 days after they lifted the trophy in Doha, Argentina kicked off their title defence as Ecuador made the trip to Buenos Aires.
 Preliminary competitions for Africa and Asia also began before the end of 2023 as nations battle it out for coveted spots at the global finals.
Concacaf, who will host the final tournament across Canada, Mexico and the USA, joined the party in March 2024. Later in the year, OFC's campaign got under way with the confederation having a guaranteed spot at the finals for the very first time, while UEFA's fixtures kicked off in March 2025.
Read more below about the qualifying process for the expanded 48-team tournament, which promises to be the most spectacular edition yet.
AFC
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 8
Play-off Tournament spots: 1
Teams qualified for the FIFA World Cup 26: Australia, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Uzbekistan (6)
Teams eliminated: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China PR, Chinese Taipei, Guam, Hong Kong, China, India, Korea DPR, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Yemen (34)
There is huge anticipation across FIFA’s most populous confederation, with a record eight teams set for direct qualification and a further berth possible via the Play-off Tournament.
There are five qualifying rounds in total to determine the eight direct slots Asia has been awarded at the FIFA World Cup 26, with one additional nation progressing to the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
The third round of the FIFA World Cup 26 AFC qualification concluded on 10 June 10 with the fourth and fifth rounds to take place later in 2025.
On 20 March, 2025, Japan became the first nation to join the co-hosts at the World Cup 26 when they defeated Bahrain 2-0, opening up an unsurpassable gap at the summit of Group C. IR Iran made it through in dramatic fashion, twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 with Group A rivals Uzbekistan on 25 March. Meanwhile, Jordan, Korea Republic, Uzbekistan all punched their tickets on 5 June. Australia reached their sixth successive World Cup on 10 June.
CAF
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 9
Play-off Tournament spots: 1
Teams qualified for the FIFA World Cup 26: 0
Teams eliminated: Seychelles (1)
Africa's preliminary tournament began on 15 November 2023.
The 53 CAF nations will compete in eight groups of six teams and one group of five, following Eritrea's withdrawal, with each of the group winners qualifying automatically for the FIFA World Cup 26.
The four best group runners-up will advance to a play-off stage to determine the Mother Continent's sole representative at the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
Concacaf
Automatically qualified nations: Canada, Mexico, USA (3)
Additional FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 3
Play-off Tournament spots: 2
Teams eliminated: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands (20).
Co-hosts Canada, Mexico and USA all receive automatic berths, leaving three direct slots and a possible further two via the Play-off Tournament up for grabs in Concacaf.
The qualification tournament began in March 2024, with the region's four lowest-ranked teams meeting in two-legged ties and the winners advancing.
The second qualification round ran from June 2024 to June 2025 where 30 Concacaf sides did battle in six groups of five teams. The group winners and runners-up (12 teams in total) have now progressed to the third and final round.
That dozen will be split into three groups of four teams. Within each group, teams will play each other home and away. The three group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, joining hosts Canada, Mexico and USA. The two best second-place finishers will qualify for the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
CONMEBOL
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 6
Play-off Tournament spots: 1
Teams qualified for the FIFA World Cup 26: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador (3)
Teams eliminated: Chile (1)
CONMEBOL qualifying began on 7 September 2023 and will end in September 2025.
Ten teams are competing in a single league format and play each other home and away. The top six teams will qualify automatically for the World Cup, with the seventh-placed side entering the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.
Argentina were the first team from the confederation to qualify. They secured their spot on 25 March when when Bolivia drew 0-0 with Uruguay. That result meant the reigning world champions were guaranteed to finish in one of the CONMEBOL's automatic World Cup qualification spots. Brazil and Ecuador joined the qualification party with positive results on the third to last matchday on 10 June, 2025.
OFC
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 1
Play-off Tournament spots: 1
Teams qualified for the FIFA World Cup 26: New Zealand (1)
Teams qualified for the Play-off Tournament: New Caledonia (1)
Teams eliminated: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu (9)
For the very first time, Oceania had a guaranteed qualification spot for the World Cup, as well as a potential second slot via the Play-off Tournament. New Zealand secured their place at the global showpiece by beating New Caledonia 3-0 in the OFC qualifying final on 24 March. New Caledonia will enter the play-off tournament.
The first of three preliminary rounds, which involved the continent's four lowest-ranked nations, took place in September 2024. A second stage, entailing two four-team groups, was then played between October and November, with Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Tahiti emerging.
A decisive third round took place in March 2025, with New Zealand triumphing to qualify for the World Cup for the third time.
UEFA
FIFA World Cup 26 tickets: 16
Teams qualified for the FIFA World Cup 26: 0
Europe's qualifying competition began in March 2025 and is scheduled to conclude in March 2026, with the Preliminary Draw taking place on 13 December, 2024, where the 54 hopefuls were drawn into 12 groups.
The first round will follow a familiar format, with 12 groups of four or five teams, and the section winners securing World Cup slots. The continent's four remaining berths will then be settled in a 16-team UEFA play-off competition involving the 12 group runners-up and four best-ranked UEFA Nations League section winners.
FIFA Play-off Tournament
The FIFA Play-off Tournament will see six sides fight it out for the final two places at the 23rd FIFA World Cup. It will involve two teams from Concacaf and one team apiece from the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC.
The four lowest-ranked nations will meet in bracket semi-finals. The two highest-ranked teams will go directly into the finals. The winners of the two bracket finals will reach the FIFA World Cup 26.
- The origianl text resource is from FIFA Official Website |
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