The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is unlike any qualification campaign before it.
With the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time, the qualifying process has been revamped, bringing new opportunities, fresh challenges, and plenty of debate.
More teams mean more matches, new pathways for smaller nations, and a different approach for traditional football powerhouses.
While some confederations have kept their usual qualification structures, others have made big changes to accommodate the extra spots.
With more teams from Africa, Asia, and CONCACAF set to qualify, football fans can expect a more global tournament than ever before.
But how exactly does the new qualification format work? Who gets automatic entry, and which teams will have to fight their way through playoffs?
With regional differences and a new intercontinental playoff system, the road to 2026 promises to be a fascinating journey filled with twists, surprises, and high-stakes football.
How Will The Tournament Work?
Set to be tly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026, this groundbreaking edition will introduce significant changes to the traditional format while maintaining the tournament’s competitive spirit.
The competition will feature 104 matches, a substantial increase from the previous 64-game format.
FIFA has confirmed a structure of 12 groups of four teams, abandoning the initially proposed three-team group format.
This decision addresses concerns about potential collusion in the final group matches.
Group Phase
In the group phase, 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, labeled A through L.
Each team plays three matches within their group, accumulating points through the traditional system – three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss.
The top two teams from each group automatically secure their place in the knockout rounds, ing for 24 of the 32 spots in the Round of 32.
The remaining eight positions will be filled by the best-performing third-placed teams, determined by points earned, goal difference, and other FIFA-established criteria.
Knockout Round
The knockout phase represents the most extensive elimination tournament in World Cup history, beginning with the Round of 32 – a new stage never before seen in the competition.
From this point, the tournament follows a single-elimination format, where teams must win to advance or face elimination.
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The path to glory becomes increasingly challenging, as teams potentially face up to eight matches to lift the trophy, compared to seven in previous tournaments.
This extended format has led FIFA to schedule the tournament over 39 days, making it the longest World Cup in history, ensuring adequate rest periods between matches and maintaining the quality of play.
Home Team Qualification
The three host nations – United States, Canada, and Mexico – have already secured their spots as automatic World Cup qualifiers, marking several historic milestones.
Mexico becomes the first nation to host the men’s World Cup three times (previously in 1970 and 1986), while Canada prepares for its first-ever hosting duties.
The United States, having previously hosted in 1994, will provide the majority of venues with 11 host cities.
The remaining 45 spots will be filled through an extensive qualification process across all confederations, with UEFA receiving 16 spots, CONMEBOL 7, CAF 9, AFC 8, CONCACAF an additional 3 (beyond the hosts), and OFC securing their first-ever guaranteed spot.
Who Can Qualify For The 2026 World Cup
The qualification process for the 2026 World Cup has been finalised and it looks like this:
UEFA (Europe)
- 16 spots allocated
- Qualifying begins March 2025
- 12 groups in qualifying
- Group winners qualify directly
- Remaining 4 spots determined through playoffs
CONMEBOL (South America)
- 7 spots available
- Single round-robin format
- Qualification began September 2023
- First goal scored by Rafael Santos Borré of Colombia
CAF (Africa)
- 10 spots available
- Group stage qualification ongoing
- Notable performances from Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia in current qualifying rounds
AFC (Asia)
- 8 spots available
- Qualification structure includes multiple rounds
- Final format yet to be confirmed
CONCACAF (North/Central America)
- 6 spots available (including 3 host nations)
- Remaining 3 spots being contested
OFC (Oceania)
As of February 2025, only the three host nations have secured their places in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with 45 spots still to be filled through various qualification pathways.
The remaining World Cup qualifiers spots are distributed across confederations, with none having completed their qualification process yet.
Two final tournament spots will be determined through an inter-confederation playoff tournament, featuring six teams – one from each confederation except UEFA, plus an additional team from CONCACAF.
The qualification process will see most confederations complete their campaigns in 2025, with UEFA being the last to finish in March 2026.
Recently, several nations have been ruled out of contention due to FIFA’s concerns over third-party interference and governance issues.
When Does 2026 Qualification Start?
The UEFA World Cup 2026 Qualifying campaign kicks off in March 2025 with the following fixtures:
Matchday 1 (March 21, 2025)
- Malta vs Finland (Group G)
- Poland vs Lithuania (Group G)
- Cyprus vs San Marino (Group H)
- Romania vs Bosnia-Herzegovina (Group H)
- Andorra vs Latvia (Group K)
- England vs Albania (Group K)
Matchday 1 (March 22, 2025)
- Liechtenstein vs North Macedonia (Group J, 2pm)
- Moldova vs Norway (Group I, 5pm)
- Montenegro vs Gibraltar (Group L, 5pm)
- Israel vs Estonia (Group I)
- Wales vs Kazakhstan (Group J)
- Czech Republic vs Faroe Islands (Group L)
Matchday 2 (March 24, 2025)
- Lithuania vs Finland (Group G)
- Poland vs Malta (Group G)
- Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Cyprus (Group H)
- San Marino vs Romania (Group H)
- Albania vs Andorra (Group K)
- England vs Latvia (Group K)
Matchday 2 (March 25, 2025)
- Israel vs Norway (Group I)
- Moldova vs Estonia (Group I)
- Liechtenstein vs Kazakhstan (Group J)
- North Macedonia vs Wales (Group J)
- Gibraltar vs Czech Republic (Group L)
- Montenegro vs Faroe Islands (Group L)
Where Is The 2026 World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted across 16 cities in three countries, featuring some of North America’s most impressive sporting venues.
The United States will host the majority of matches across 11 cities, with MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey hosting the final.
Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Dallas’s AT&T Stadium will host the semi-finals.
Mexico will stage matches in three venues: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City), Estadio BBVA (Monterrey), and Estadio Akron (Guadalajara), with the historic Azteca hosting the opening match.
Canada’s contributions include BMO Field in Toronto and BC Place in Vancouver.
Who Will Win The 2026 World Cup
The race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup appears particularly competitive, with several nations emerging as prime contenders.
Spain has established themselves as the team to beat following their triumphant Euro 2024 campaign, where they defeated England in the final and became the first team to win all seven matches in a European Championship.
Under Luis de la Fuente’s leadership, Spain’s blend of experienced players and exciting young talents like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams has created a formidable squad that dominated possession and demonstrated tactical superiority throughout their Euro campaign.
remains a perpetual threat, despite their disappointing Euro 2024 semifinal exit where they struggled offensively, scoring just once from open play.
Les Bleus’ hopes centre around Kylian Mbappé, who will be just 27 and entering his prime years during the 2026 tournament.
However, questions remain about their striking options following Olivier Giroud’s international retirement, and manager Didier Deschamps must address their attacking concerns to maintain their status as co-favorites.
Brazil‘s situation appears increasingly concerning, with the five-time world champions experiencing their worst qualification campaign in history.
The Seleção currently sits in fifth place in South American qualifying, having lost three consecutive games in 2023 and struggling under new manager Dorival Júnior.
Their recent performances, including a disappointing Copa America 2024 campaign where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals, have raised serious doubts about their ability to end their 24-year World Cup drought.
England‘s prospects have taken an intriguing turn with the appointment of Thomas Tuchel, who has boldly stated his aim to win the 2026 World Cup.
The former Chelsea manager inherits a squad that reached the Euro 2024 final and has consistently performed well in recent tournaments.
Tuchel’s tactical acumen and experience in winning major trophies, including the Champions League, could provide the edge England needs to end their 60-year wait for international success.
His appointment represents a shift from Gareth Southgate’s approach, with the FA specifically choosing a proven winner to lead their campaign.
