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The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will be the qualifying process which will decide the teams that will join hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Qualified countries
Teams qualified
Team whose qualification process has yet to be decided
^ abcAlthough the United bid was selected on 13 June 2018, the automatic berths allocated to the hosts were not confirmed until a decision by the FIFA Council on 14 February 2023.[1]
Qualification process
On 9 May 2017, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation scheme for the new 48-team final format.[2]
^The Northern Mariana Islands will compete in World Cup qualification, as it is used as joint qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. They are ineligible to qualify for the World Cup as they are not a member of FIFA, only of the AFC.
On 1 August 2022, the Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee approved the qualification format for Asia's road to the 2026 World Cup, as well as the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, in preparation for the eight direct spots and the single intercontinental play-off slot allocated to the AFC by FIFA following the expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams.[3]
The qualification structure is as follows:
First round:[note 1] Twenty-two teams (ranked 26–47) will play home-and-away over two legs. The eleven winners advance to the second round.
Second round:[note 2] Thirty-six teams (those ranked 1–25 and the eleven first-round winners) are divided into nine groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The eighteen group winners and group runners-up advance to the third round.
Third round:[note 3] The eighteen teams that advance from the second round are divided into three groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group qualify for the World Cup, while the third-placed and fourth-placed teams of each group advance to the fourth round.
Fourth round:[note 4] The six teams that advance from the third round are divided into two groups of three teams each to play a single round-robin. The winners qualify for the World Cup.
Fifth round:[note 4] The group runners-up in the previous round will compete in a play-off tie to determine the Asian representation at the inter-confederation play-offs.
CAF
To be decided.
CONCACAF
Three nations in CONCACAF are automatically qualified as host nations. The qualification system for the remaining slots is to be determined.
On 22 August 2022, CONMEBOL petitioned FIFA to keep the current qualification format, which has been used since the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.[4][5][6][7] This was confirmed, with the first games of the qualifiers to be played in 2023.[8]
Prior to the commencement of the qualification competition, Ecuador were deducted 3 points and fined CHF 100,000 ($108,000 or €101,000 as of 2023) for falsifying birth documents for Byron Castillo in the previous World Cup qualification cycle.[9]
OFC
For the first time, the OFC will be granted one guaranteed slot directly into the World Cup, as opposed to the OFC winner having to play an intercontinental play-off in the qualification process. A format for the upcoming World Cup is to be decided.
The UEFA Executive Committee announced a new European qualification format on 25 January 2023. Teams will be drawn into twelve groups of four or five teams. The winner of each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the second-placed teams will either qualify directly or participate in play-off matches.[10]
First round (group stage): Twelve groups of either four or five teams with group winners qualifying for the World Cup finals.
Inter-confederation play-offs
A play-off tournament involving six teams will be held to decide the last two FIFA World Cup berths:[11] these consist of one team per confederation, except for UEFA, and one additional team from the confederation of the host countries (CONCACAF).
Two of the teams will be seeded based on the World Rankings, and these seeded teams will play for a FIFA World Cup berth against the winners of the first two knockout games involving the four unseeded teams.
The four-game tournament is to be played in one or more of the host countries and to be used as a test event for the FIFA World Cup.
Notes
^On the official AFC website, it is listed as Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1
^On the official AFC website, it is listed as Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2
^On the official AFC website, it is listed as AFC Asian Qualifiers
^ abOn the official AFC website, it is listed as Asian Playoff
Canada
Mexico
United States
