Mark Giannotto, USA TODAYMon, December 1, 2025 at 5:21 PM UTC·7 min readThe 2026 World Cup draw is almost here and all but six spots in soccer's biggest global event are secure at this point.
Curaçao, Haiti and Panama from CONCACAF, as well as 12 European nations from UEFA, were the most recent countries to qualify for group play when the World Cup is hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada this summer. Most of the 42 teams will learn their opponents and groups on Dec. 5, during the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut the expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams also led to additional pathways to reach the tournament. Matches have been announced for FIFA's intercontinental playoff in which two World Cup berths are on the line, as well as for a European playoff in which 16 teams will compete for four spots in the World Cup.
Here's what to know about where qualifying stands for the 2026 World Cup, including which nations could secure berths next:
SPAIN: Lamine Yamal. Still just a teenager, few players are as exciting with the ball at their feet as the 18-year-old Barcelona winger. He already has 23 caps for Spain, bursting onto the scene as 16-year-old sensation.
ARGENTINA: Lionel Messi. This certainly is the last ride for the one of the greatest players to ever do it. He led La Albiceleste to World Cup glory in 2022 and is still defying Father Time at 38 years old (he'll turn 39 during the tournament).
FRANCE: Desire Doue. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are the stars of France's attack, but don't forget the 20-year-old Doue, who is a key piece in Paris Saint-Germain's midfield. He's a tricky player who is constantly putting defenses under pressure.
ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger is already a well-known commodity. He's appeared more than 200 times for Arsenal and has 14 England goals already. His left foot is a wand cutting in off the right and he consistently puts defenders on their heels.
GERMANY: Jamal Musiala. The 22-year-old Bayern Munich attacker is coming off a serious ankle injury suffered at July's FIFA Club World Cup. He should be go good to go this summer and his trickery and dribbling give the Germans an added dimension in midfield.
BELGIUM: Jeremy Doku. This 23-year-old Manchester City winger is electric. He's among the best dribblers in the Premier League and is a nightmare when he's running at defenders with the ball at his feet.
PORTUGAL: Cristiano Ronaldo. At 40 years old, he's still not slowing down. Ronaldo has scored 109 goals since moving to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia four years ago and has transferred that form to Portugal, with eight goals in nine games for the national team in 2025.
JAPAN: Takefusa Kubo. The 24-year-old Real Sociedad right winger (ESP) will consistently run at defenders, putting opponents on their heels. He led Japan in goals+assists in qualifying (11) and will be key to Samurai Blue's attack.
NORWAY: Erling Haaland. An unstoppable force, the 25-year-old striker led Norway to its first World Cup since 1998. He's a scoring machine with 55 goals in 48 games for Norway and is fast approaching 150 career goals for Manchester City in just over 160 games played.
MOROCCO: Abde Ezzalzouli. A 23-year-old left winger who plays for Real Betis in Spain, gets goals and assists and isn't afraid to get stuck in. He scored in Morocco's 6-0 win over Egypt in the 2024 bronze medal game in the Paris Olympics.
USA: Christian Pulisic. A lot falls on the shoulders of Captain America, and the 27-year-old winger has been building to this moment. He's played for some of Europe's biggest clubs (Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and now AC Milan) and has 32 goals in 82 caps for the US.
ENGLAND: Phil Foden. The 25-year-old midfielder was named 2024 English Premier League Player of the Year, scoring 19 goals in Manchester CIty's title-winning season. He dropped off a bit last season, but is still one of the most creative players in the EPL.
NETHERLANDS: Cody Gakpo. The 26-year-old Liverpool forward has already scored 19 goals for Holland in just 46 caps.Memphis Depay is still the focal point of the Dutch attack, but Gakpo provides plenty of skill and speed to open up defenses.
ARGENTINA: Nico Paz. Part of La Albiceleste's next generation, the 21-year-old midfielder is off to a flier this season for Como in Italy's Serie A. He'll likely head back to Real Madrid next season and is the future midfield maestro for Argentina.
SPAIN: Nico Williams. With Lamine Yamal on one side and Williams on the other, Spain's wingers give defenses sleepless nights. The 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger has six goals in 30 Spain caps and is electric with the ball at his feet.
AUSTRALIA: Nestory Irankunda. Diminutive but dynamic, this 19-year-old forward has blistering pace, great dribbling ability and rocket for a shot. He had a brief spell with Bayern Munich's reserves, but now plays for Watford in The EFL Championship (England's second tier).
CANADA: Tajon Buchanan. The 26-year-old winger has featured 57 times for Canada and is among its most dangerous attacking options. He's scored four times this season for Villareal in Spain.
SWITZERLAND: Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old midfielder who plays for Freiburg in Germany has eight caps for the Swiss team (all this year) and scored against the U.S. in a 4-0 win last June.
SENEGAL: Ismaila Sarr. The 27-year-old winger has scored four goals in seven matches for the national team in 2025 and is a key part to the overachieving Crystal Palace team in England.1 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SPAIN: Lamine Yamal. Still just a teenager, few players are as exciting with the ball at their feet as the 18-year-old Barcelona winger. He already has 23 caps for Spain, bursting onto the scene as 16-year-old sensation.1 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SPAIN: Lamine Yamal. Still just a teenager, few players are as exciting with the ball at their feet as the 18-year-old Barcelona winger. He already has 23 caps for Spain, bursting onto the scene as 16-year-old sensation.2 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ARGENTINA: Lionel Messi. This certainly is the last ride for the one of the greatest players to ever do it. He led La Albiceleste to World Cup glory in 2022 and is still defying Father Time at 38 years old (he'll turn 39 during the tournament).3 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
FRANCE: Desire Doue. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are the stars of France's attack, but don't forget the 20-year-old Doue, who is a key piece in Paris Saint-Germain's midfield. He's a tricky player who is constantly putting defenses under pressure.4 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger is already a well-known commodity. He's appeared more than 200 times for Arsenal and has 14 England goals already. His left foot is a wand cutting in off the right and he consistently puts defenders on their heels.5 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
GERMANY: Jamal Musiala. The 22-year-old Bayern Munich attacker is coming off a serious ankle injury suffered at July's FIFA Club World Cup. He should be go good to go this summer and his trickery and dribbling give the Germans an added dimension in midfield.6 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
BELGIUM: Jeremy Doku. This 23-year-old Manchester City winger is electric. He's among the best dribblers in the Premier League and is a nightmare when he's running at defenders with the ball at his feet.7 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
PORTUGAL: Cristiano Ronaldo. At 40 years old, he's still not slowing down. Ronaldo has scored 109 goals since moving to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia four years ago and has transferred that form to Portugal, with eight goals in nine games for the national team in 2025.8 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
JAPAN: Takefusa Kubo. The 24-year-old Real Sociedad right winger (ESP) will consistently run at defenders, putting opponents on their heels. He led Japan in goals+assists in qualifying (11) and will be key to Samurai Blue's attack.9 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
NORWAY: Erling Haaland. An unstoppable force, the 25-year-old striker led Norway to its first World Cup since 1998. He's a scoring machine with 55 goals in 48 games for Norway and is fast approaching 150 career goals for Manchester City in just over 160 games played.10 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
MOROCCO: Abde Ezzalzouli. A 23-year-old left winger who plays for Real Betis in Spain, gets goals and assists and isn't afraid to get stuck in. He scored in Morocco's 6-0 win over Egypt in the 2024 bronze medal game in the Paris Olympics.11 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
USA: Christian Pulisic. A lot falls on the shoulders of Captain America, and the 27-year-old winger has been building to this moment. He's played for some of Europe's biggest clubs (Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and now AC Milan) and has 32 goals in 82 caps for the US.12 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ENGLAND: Phil Foden. The 25-year-old midfielder was named 2024 English Premier League Player of the Year, scoring 19 goals in Manchester CIty's title-winning season. He dropped off a bit last season, but is still one of the most creative players in the EPL.13 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
NETHERLANDS: Cody Gakpo. The 26-year-old Liverpool forward has already scored 19 goals for Holland in just 46 caps.Memphis Depay is still the focal point of the Dutch attack, but Gakpo provides plenty of skill and speed to open up defenses.14 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ARGENTINA: Nico Paz. Part of La Albiceleste's next generation, the 21-year-old midfielder is off to a flier this season for Como in Italy's Serie A. He'll likely head back to Real Madrid next season and is the future midfield maestro for Argentina.15 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SPAIN: Nico Williams. With Lamine Yamal on one side and Williams on the other, Spain's wingers give defenses sleepless nights. The 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger has six goals in 30 Spain caps and is electric with the ball at his feet.16 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
AUSTRALIA: Nestory Irankunda. Diminutive but dynamic, this 19-year-old forward has blistering pace, great dribbling ability and rocket for a shot. He had a brief spell with Bayern Munich's reserves, but now plays for Watford in The EFL Championship (England's second tier).17 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
CANADA: Tajon Buchanan. The 26-year-old winger has featured 57 times for Canada and is among its most dangerous attacking options. He's scored four times this season for Villareal in Spain.18 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SWITZERLAND: Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old midfielder who plays for Freiburg in Germany has eight caps for the Swiss team (all this year) and scored against the U.S. in a 4-0 win last June.19 / 192026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SENEGAL: Ismaila Sarr. The 27-year-old winger has scored four goals in seven matches for the national team in 2025 and is a key part to the overachieving Crystal Palace team in England.WORLD CUP TICKETS: FIFA announces World Cup ticket sales update, next chance for fans to buy
Who has qualified for World Cup 2026?
Through 5 p.m. ET, Monday Dec. 1
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 2026 World Cup will include 48 teams, a huge jump up from the 32 that participated in Qatar 2022. Now that November's qualifiers are complete, 42 nations have qualified.
Here is a complete list of every country to qualify for the 2026 World Cup:
Host nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Concacaf: Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
Europe: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Oceania: New Zealand
South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
Brazil – 23rd appearance
United States of America – 12th appearance
Mexico – 18th appearance
England – 17th appearance
Portugal – ninth appearance
France – 17th appearance
Spain – 17th appearance
Iran – seventh appearance
Switzerland – 13th appearance
Croatia – seventh appearance
Australia – seventh appearance
Morocco – seventh appearance
Austria – eighth appearance
Ecuador – fifth appearance
Senegal – fourth appearance
South Korea – 12th appearance
Japan – eighth appearance
Colombia – seventh appearance
Netherlands – 12th appearance
Germany – 21st appearance
Belgium – 15th appearance
Canada – third appearance
Saudi Arabia – seventh appearance
Uzbekistan – first appearance
Jordan – first appearance
Tunisia – seventh appearance
South Africa – fourth appearance
Ivory Coast – fourth appearance
Scotland – ninth appearance
Algeria – fifth appearance
New Zealand – third appearance
Paraguay – ninth appearance
Egypt – fourth appearance
Cape Verde – first appearance
Qatar – second appearance
Norway – fourth appearance
Panama – second appearance
Curacao – first appearance
Ghana – fifth appearance
Haiti – second appearance
1 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Brazil – 23rd appearance
1 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Brazil – 23rd appearance
2 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
United States of America – 12th appearance
3 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Mexico – 18th appearance
4 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
England – 17th appearance
5 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Portugal – ninth appearance
6 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
France – 17th appearance
7 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Spain – 17th appearance
8 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Iran – seventh appearance
9 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Switzerland – 13th appearance
10 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Croatia – seventh appearance
11 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Australia – seventh appearance
12 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Morocco – seventh appearance
13 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Austria – eighth appearance
14 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Ecuador – fifth appearance
15 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Senegal – fourth appearance
16 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
South Korea – 12th appearance
17 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Japan – eighth appearance
18 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Colombia – seventh appearance
19 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Netherlands – 12th appearance
20 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Germany – 21st appearance
21 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Belgium – 15th appearance
22 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Canada – third appearance
23 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Saudi Arabia – seventh appearance
24 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Uzbekistan – first appearance
25 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Jordan – first appearance
26 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Tunisia – seventh appearance
27 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
South Africa – fourth appearance
28 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Ivory Coast – fourth appearance
29 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Scotland – ninth appearance
30 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Algeria – fifth appearance
31 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
New Zealand – third appearance
32 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Paraguay – ninth appearance
33 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Egypt – fourth appearance
34 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Cape Verde – first appearance
35 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Qatar – second appearance
36 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Norway – fourth appearance
37 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Panama – second appearance
38 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Curacao – first appearance
39 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Ghana – fifth appearance
40 / 40Who qualified for 2026 World Cup? See every country in the field so far
Haiti – second appearance
World Cup qualifying: Who could clinch a 2026 spot next?
The World Cup draw is almost here, but there will still be six unknown teams and their corresponding matches after groups are announced on Dec. 5. There are two avenues left to qualify for the 2026 World Cup ‒ a new intercontinental playoff set up by FIFA to determine two spots and a European playoff with 16 UEFA teams chasing four remaining World Cup berths. Both tournaments are set to take place in March 2026.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAlbania: Must beat Poland and then the winner of Ukraine vs. Sweden to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Bolivia: Must beat Suriname in one of two pathway semifinals, and then Iraq in the finals, as part of the intercontinental tournament in March.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Must beat Wales and then the winner of Italy vs. Northern Ireland to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Czechia: Must beat Ireland and then the winner of Denmark vs. North Macedonia to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Denmark: Must beat North Macedonia and then the winner of Czechia vs. Ireland to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
DR Congo: Must beat the winner of Jamaica vs. New Caledonia in one of two pathway finals taking place in March as part of the intercontinental tournament.
Iraq: Must beat the winner of Bolivia vs. Suriname in one of two pathway finals taking place in March as part of the intercontinental tournament.
Ireland: Must beat Czechia and then the winner of Denmark vs. North Macedonia to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Italy: Must beat Northern Ireland and then the winner of Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Jamaica: Must beat New Caledonia in one of two pathway semifinals, and then DR Congo in the finals, as part of the intercontinental tournament in March.
Kosovo: Must beat Slovakia and then the winner of Turkey vs. Romania to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
New Caledonia: Must beat Jamaica in one of two pathway semifinals, and then DR Congo in the finals, as part of the intercontinental tournament in March.
North Macedonia: Must beat Denmark and then the winner of Czechia vs. Ireland to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Northern Ireland: Must beat Italy and then the winner of Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Poland: Must beat Albania and then the winner of Ukraine vs. Sweden to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Romania: Must beat Turkey and then the winner of Slovakia vs. Kosovo to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Slovakia: Must beat Kosovo and then the winner of Turkey vs. Romania to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Suriname: Must beat Jamaica in one of two pathway semifinals, and then DR Congo in the finals, as part of the intercontinental tournament in March.
Sweden: Must beat Ukraine and then the winner of Poland vs. Albania to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Turkey: Must beat Romania and then the winner of Slovakia vs. Kosovo to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Ukraine: Must beat Sweden and then the winner of Poland vs. Albania to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
Wales: Must beat Bosnia and Herzegovina and then the winner of Italy vs. Northern Ireland to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
World Cup qualifiers: How many spots for each region?
Here is a complete breakdown of how FIFA divided all 48 berths at the 2026 World Cup:
Host nations (3): Canada, Mexico and the United States all qualified as soon as they were picked to host the tournament.
Asia (8): Eight Asian countries have qualified. The Asian Football Confederation will place one team in the intercontinental playoff, with Iraq and the United Arab Emirates facing off for that last-chance ticket in a two-legged tie on Nov. 13 and Nov. 18.
Africa (9): African qualifying sorted 54 countries into nine groups of six (though Eritrea withdrew from Group E before play began). The nine group winners have qualified, while DR Congo emerged from a four-team playoff and earned a spot in the intercontinental playoff in March.
Concacaf (3): Haiti, Curaçao and Panama were each winners of four-team groups in the region's third round of qualifying and earned spots in the 2026 World Cup field. The two best group runners-up from qualifying -- Jamaica and Suriname -- are entered in the intercontinental playoff in March with four other teams competing for two spots in the 2026 World Cup.
Europe (16): UEFA qualifying features 54 teams broken up into 12 groups. Group winners qualify for the World Cup, while the second-place finishers (along with the top four teams from the UEFA Nations League who didn't win their qualifying groups) will enter a playoff for Europe's final four berths that is set for March 2026. There are still 16 teams competing for four spots up via the European play-offs.
Oceania (1): New Zealand has already claimed Oceania's only guaranteed berth at the 2026 World Cup, while New Caledonia is headed to the intercontinental playoff.
South America (6): CONMEBOL's marathon qualifying tournament has concluded, with six teams getting places at the World Cup. A seventh (Bolivia) claimed the region's spot in the intercontinental playoff.
Intercontinental playoff (2): DR Congo, Iraq, Bolivia, New Caledonia, Jamaica and Suriname have locked in spots in what will be a six-team tournament scheduled for March 2026.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup 2026 teams qualified, full list, clinching scenarios
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