A record 48 teams will take part in the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
On Sunday, Portugal and Norway became the latest sides to secure their spots. Portugal, playing without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, thrashed Armenia 9-1 to keep the 39-year-old on course to feature in a sixth World Cup — an all-time record if he appears. Norway booked their ticket with a 4-1 win over four-time champion Italy.
In total, 43 teams will qualify through their regional competitions, while two more will advance from a six-team intercontinental playoff scheduled for March in Mexico. The three host nations qualify automatically.
Qualification breakdown
Asia: 8 direct places, 1 intercontinental playoff slot
Africa: 9 direct berths, 1 playoff slot
North/Central America & Caribbean: 3 direct spots, plus 3 automatic host places, and 2 playoff slots
No Ronaldo, no problem: Portugal seal World Cup spot crushing Armenia 9–1
South America: 6 direct spots, 1 playoff place
Oceania: 1 guaranteed spot for the first time — already claimed by New Zealand — with New Caledonia headed to the playoffs
Europe: 16 direct qualifiers
Teams already qualified
Hosts: United States, Mexico, Canada
Africa:
Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Asia:
Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Europe:
Croatia, England, France, Norway, Portugal
Oceania:
New Zealand
South America:
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay