FIFA World Cup 2026: Qualified Countries And Play-Offs Explained

‎The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

‎Qualifying is ongoing across Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America, with the final two spots decided through the inter-confederation playoff tournament in March 2026.

‎Host nations

‎USA

‎Canada

‎Mexico

‎Europe (16 direct berths)

‎Austria

‎Belgium

‎Croatia

‎England

‎France

‎Germany

‎The Netherlands

‎Norway

‎Portugal

‎Scotland

‎Spain

‎Switzerland

‎European Play-Offs: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Wales

‎South America (six direct berths plus one playoff place)

‎Argentina

‎Brazil

‎Ecuador

‎Colombia

‎Paraguay

‎Uruguay

‎FIFA Play-Off Tournament: Bolivia

‎North & Central America (three direct berths plus two play-off places)

‎None confirmed yet.

‎Africa (nine direct berths plus one play-off place)

‎Morocco

‎Tunisia

‎Egypt

‎Algeria

‎Ghana

‎Cape Verde

‎South Africa

‎Ivory Coast

‎Senegal

‎FIFA Play-Off Tournament: D.R. Congo

‎Asia (eight direct berths plus one play-off place)

‎Australia

‎Japan

‎Jordan

‎Iran

‎South Korea

‎Uzbekistan

‎Qatar

‎Saudi Arabia

‎FIFA Play-Off tournament: Iraq

‎Oceania (one direct berth plus one play-off place)

‎New Zealand

‎FIFA Play-Off Tournament: New Caledonia

‎When are the play-off draws, and how do the play-offs work?

‎The draws for both the FIFA Play-Off Tournament and the European Play-Offs will take place on Thursday, November 20th. The FIFA Play-Off Tournament will consist of two finals, with unseeded teams first facing off in the semi-finals.

‎The winners of those matches will then play the seeded teams, with the two final winners earning spots at the 2026 World Cup.

‎The European Play-Offs will feature 12 group runners-up and the four highest-ranked UEFA Nations League group winners. The 16 teams will be split into four paths, each containing four nations.

‎Each path will be decided by single-leg semi-finals and a single-leg final, producing Europe’s final four qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.