All about the FIFA World Cup 2026. Qualified teams and the draw
42 teams have already qualified for the World Cup, with 6 more to be determined in March 2026.
Which teams have qualified and which can still qualify, the draw for the group stage, where and when all the games will be held… We will present you with everything…
In the summer of 2026, the USA, Canada and Mexico will host the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the top and biggest football tournament the world has ever seen.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is historic, since for the first time, it will have a new format with 48 countries competing for global glory (and money), and it will be the biggest World Cup ever.
The Argentina national team and
Lionel Messi are the title holders, having defeated France in the penalty shootout at the
2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The FIFA 2026 World Cup draw can be watched worldwide via the FIFA+ streaming service. With that in mind, we've answered all the key questions football fans around the world may have about the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
When will the 2026 FIFA World Cup be held?.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 11, and concludes with the final on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The final stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in 16 cities across three separate countries. The United States will host the majority of the tournament, with Canada and Mexico also hosting matches.
The cities that will host World Cup matches are:
USA
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco/Santa Clara, Seattle…
CANADA
Toronto, Vancouver
MEXICO
Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey,
FIFA is responsible for general ticket sales and has created a dedicated page, including a resale section
Which countries have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
So far, 42 countries have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with six places still available. These countries are listed below in order of continent. As the tournament hosts, the United States, Canada, and Mexico qualified automatically.
EUROPE (UEFA)
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland,
Spain, Switzerland
NORTH AMERICA (CONCACAF)
Canada, Curaçao*, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, United States
*Despite being based in South America, Curaçao competed in the CONCACAF division of FIFA World Cup qualifying.
SOUTH AMERICA (CONMEBOL)
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
OCEANIA (OFC)
New Zealand
ASIA (AFC)
Australia*, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
*Although Australia is based in Oceania, they competed in the AFC section of FIFA World Cup qualifying
AFRICA (CAF)
Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Which countries can still qualify for the World Cup?
The BOTTOM NATIONAL teams have not yet been eliminated from the qualifiers and can still secure their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup through the play-offs.
Europe (UEFA): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Wales
North America (CONCACAF): Jamaica, Suriname
South America (CONMEBOL): Bolivia
Oceania (OFC): New Caledonia
Asia (AFC): Iraq
Africa (CAF): DR Congo
The play-off process
There will be two sets of play-offs to determine the remaining 6 teams that will qualify for the World Cup. . The confederation play-offs, which will involve all non-European nations, and the UEFA play-offs, which will involve all European nations. Two nations will qualify via the confederation play-offs, while the remaining four will qualify via the UEFA play-offs.
Has the draw for the play-offs been made and when will the matches be played?
Yes. The draws for both the confederation play-offs and the UEFA play-offs were held on Thursday 20 November 2025 and you can See below. All matches are scheduled to be played in March 2026.
Confederation play-off semi-finals
New Caledonia - Jamaica and - Bolivia - Suriname
Confederation play-off finals: DR Congo - New Caledonia/Jamaica and
Iraq - Bolivia/Suriname
UEFA play-off semi-finals: Wales - Bosnia and Herzegovina
Italy - Northern Ireland, Ukraine - Sweden, Poland - Albania, Slovakia - Kosovo, Turkey - Romania, Czech Republic - Republic of Ireland and Denmark - North Macedonia
UEFA play-off finals
Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Italy/Northern Ireland
Ukraine/Sweden vs. Poland/Albania
Slovakia/Kosovo vs. Turkey/Romania
Czech Republic/Republic of Ireland vs. Denmark/North Macedonia
The six winners of these respective finals will qualify for the World Cup and complete the 48-team finals.
When is the draw for the World Cup finals?
The main draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It can be watched worldwide via the FIFA+ streaming service.
What is the format of the main draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup? The teams will be divided into four groups of 12 teams, with one team from each group forming 12 groups of four. Teams from the same group cannot be drawn together.
Which countries are in each group? The four groups and the countries in each group are listed below
GROUP 1:
USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal
GROUP 2:
Australia, Austria, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Senegal, South Korea, Switzerland, Uruguay
GROUP 3:
Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Norway, Paraguay, Panama, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa, Tunisia, Uzbekistan
GROUP 4:
Cape Verde, Curacao, Ghana, Haiti, Jordan, New Zealand,
Winner of the play-off between confederations
Winner of the inter-confederation play-offs
UEFA play-offs Winner
Winner of the UEFA play-offs
Winner of the UEFA play-offs
Winner of the UEFA play-offs
Manos Staramopoulos
Journalist and Analyst of International Football and Affairs
Chief Editor English Zone of Discoveryfootball.com
Athens (Greece)
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