The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is well underway. For the first time in history, the tournament will feature 48 national teams, marking a new era for global football.

Hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the expanded competition promises more diversity, more matches, and unprecedented global attention. With the qualifying cycle entering its final stretch, 42 teams have already secured their place, leaving only six spots yet to be determined. 

The most recent FIFA international window brought major developments. Five European teams—Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Scotland, and Austria—clinched direct qualification.

Later that night, Curacao, Panama, and Haiti joined the list from the CONCACAF qualifiers. The global picture is now almost complete, setting the stage for the decisive playoffs that will award the remaining tickets. 

How the Spots Are Distributed for the Expanded Tournament 

With the expansion to 48 teams, FIFA rebalanced the allocation of berths across its six confederations: 

• UEFA (Europe): 16 direct spots 
• CAF (Africa): 9 direct + 1 playoff (Congo) 
• AFC (Asia): 8 direct + 1 playoff (Iraq) 
• CONMEBOL (South America): 6 direct + 1 playoff (Bolivia) 
• CONCACAF: 3 direct (plus automatic qualification for the United States, Mexico, and Canada) + 2 playoff teams (Jamaica and Suriname) 
• OFC (Oceania): 1 direct (New Zealand) + 1 playoff (New Caledonia)

The three hosts—the United States, Mexico, and Canada—were guaranteed entry from the start and will serve as top seeds during the group-stage draw. 

• CONCACAF: United States, Canada, Mexico, Curacao, Panama, Haiti 
• CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia 
• Oceania: New Zealand 
• Asia: Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia 
• Africa: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, South Africa, Senegal 
• Europe: England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, Belgium 

Six coveted places remain unclaimed: 

• Four will be decided through the European playoffs. 
• Two more will come from the intercontinental playoff tournament to be held in March in Mexico. 

These final matches are expected to be highly competitive, particularly in Europe, where several strong football nations failed to qualify directly. 

How the European Playoffs Will Work 

The European playoff will feature 16 teams. The runners-up from the UEFA qualifying groups—Italy, Albania, Ireland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia, Wales, Denmark, Kosovo, and Turkey—will join four teams from the 2024/2025 Nations League ranking: Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, and North Macedonia. 

The format includes eight single-match semifinals, followed by four finals. The winners of each final will earn the last European spots. The draw for these matchups will take place on Thursday, November 20, in Zurich. 

The final two berths will be awarded through the intercontinental playoff, a six-team mini-tournament involving: 

• Asia: Iraq 
• Africa: Congo 
• South America: Bolivia 
• CONCACAF: Jamaica and Suriname 
• Oceania: New Caledonia 

The competition will include single-match semifinals among the four lowest-ranked teams (Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname, New Caledonia). The winners will then face Congo and Iraq—both higher-ranked—for the remaining two slots. 

The official draw will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The top seeds will include the three hosts—Mexico, Canada, and the United States—alongside nine leading nations in the FIFA rankings: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium, and Germany.