A Historic Tournament: 28 Nations Secure Their Spots
Excitement is rapidly building for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be the biggest tournament in history, featuring an expanded field of 48 teams. So far, 28 countries have officially booked their spots across the globe, leaving 20 highly contested places still up for grabs as the World Cup Qualifiers head towards a dramatic conclusion.
The tournament is set to be jointly hosted across North America, bringing together more nations and promising unforgettable moments.
The Host Nations and Automatic Qualifiers
The three co-hosts automatically complete the first entries on the Full List of Countries Qualified for 2026 FIFA World Cup:
United States: Securing their 12th World Cup appearance and second on home soil after USA ’94.
Mexico: Set to host the tournament for a record third time.
Canada: Appearing in back-to-back World Cups for the first time since 1986.
African Giants and History Makers
Africa (CAF) has seen a dominant run from several nations, including some notable upsets and historic firsts:
Morocco: The 2022 semi-finalists were the first African team to qualify with a dominant victory over Niger.
South Africa: Bafana Bafana ended a significant 16-year wait, topping their group ahead of Nigeria.
Cabo Verde: Making history by qualifying for their first-ever World Cup after topping their Group D.
Other Qualifiers: Tunisia, Egypt (led by Mohamed Salah), Algeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal have also secured their places.
Asian and South American Contenders
The Asian (AFC) and South American (CONMEBOL) campaigns have delivered high drama and crucial confirmations:
Historic Asian Debut: Uzbekistan and Jordan both secured their maiden World Cup appearances, marking a significant milestone for Asian football.
AFC Dominance: Traditional powerhouses Japan, Korea Republic, Iran, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and 2022 hosts Qatar also confirmed their places.
South American Giants: Defending champions Argentina and five-time winners Brazil were the first two CONMEBOL teams to qualify, maintaining Brazil’s perfect record of appearing in every FIFA World Cup. They are joined by Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Colombia.
With the field for the Expanded Tournament quickly filling up, the final months of the World Cup Qualifiers promise to be the most intense yet as the remaining 20 slots are decided.
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