For the first time in history, the FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams as the 32-team format that has been in place since the 1998 edition becomes a thing of the past.
In what promises to be an exciting tournament, UEFA is guaranteed 16 slots, while CAF gets nine and AFC gets eight. There will be a minimum of six each from CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, while OFC has one guaranteed slot for the first time.
The remaining two places will be decided through the intercontinental playoffs.
United States, Canada and Mexico are the host nation and big names such as Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will represent their countries.
While the intercontinental playoffs is yet to hold, here are all the teams that have qualified for World Cup 2026:
Scotland players celebrate reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1998. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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
Curaçao players and fans celebrate World Cup 2026 qualification after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica on November 18, 2025. (Photo by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images)
Curacao makes history
Curacao, with its population of just 156,115, became the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup after securing a draw with Jamaica on the final matchday to win Group B in CONCACAF.
This will mark the country’s first appearance at the tournament, with the team led by former Manchester United youth product Tahith Chong.
When is the intercontinental playoffs?
Officially named the FIFA Play-Off Tournament, it will be staged in Mexico, aiming to test stadiums ahead of next summer’s tournament.
The games will be played during the international fixture window from March 23-31, 2026, less than three months before the World Cup kicks off on June 11.
