Qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup started on Oct. 12, 2023, when minor nations from the Asian confederation performed their first spherical of matches. Myanmar’s Lwin Moe Aung scored the very first objective in a 5-1 win over Macau.
Most confederations now have qualifying effectively underway, however we’re a great distance from discovering the complete record of 45 nations who will be a part of hosts United States, Mexico and Canada.
Nevertheless, over the subsequent week we are going to discover out our very first qualifiers.
Here is the place we’re at across the globe.
Qualifying lastly will get began on March 21 when a lot of the European groups who should not in UEFA Nations League (UNL) motion play their first matches.
There are 55 European nations, though 54 will compete as Russia stay suspended as a result of invasion of Ukraine.
There will probably be 12 teams of 4 or 5 groups, taking part in dwelling and away matches. The group stage qualifying course of will probably be accomplished in November 2025.
The 12 group winners will qualify instantly for the World Cup, with the 12 runners-up coming into the playoff system.
Eight teams won’t be totally determined till this week’s UEFA Nations League quarterfinals are accomplished on Sunday.
– Take a look at the most recent fixtures and outcomes right here | Tables
The ultimate 4 locations on the World Cup will probably be decided through the UEFA playoffs, to be performed in March 2026. There isn’t a path to the World Cup by way of FIFA’s intercontinental playoffs.
The UEFA playoffs contain 16 groups: the 12 runners-up plus the 4 best-ranked group winners from the UNL, who didn’t end within the high two in World Cup qualifying. This creates 4 routes, every with 4 groups that includes a one-legged semifinal and a last for a spot on the World Cup.
The precedence order for the 4 World Cup playoff locations by way of the UNL is: Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, England, Norway, Wales, Czechia, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Eire, Moldova, San Marino
Of the 14 groups to win their UNL teams, 10 of these had been in Pot 1 or 2 for the World Cup qualifying draw — so on rating would end within the high two of their group. If that involves go, North Macedonia, Northern Eire, Moldova and San Marino would get a playoff place.
Seeding:
Pot 1: World Cup qualifying group runners-up with the very best 4 data
Pot 2: As above, groups fifth to eighth
Pot 3: As above, groups ninth to twelfth
Pot 4: UEFA Nations League groups
Semifinals:
Pot 1 vs. Pot 4
Pot 2 vs. Pot 3
As in latest qualifying competitions, all 10 nations play one another dwelling and away. The highest six nations qualify on to the finals. The seventh-placed workforce will go into the intercontinental playoffs in March 2026.
The primary qualifiers befell in September 2023, with the league part to be accomplished in September 2025.
– Take a look at the fixtures and outcomes | Newest desk
Often, Concacaf would have six computerized locations in qualifying — however for the 2026 finals three of the six are taken up by the hosts. That leaves three locations to be received, plus two spots within the intercontinental playoff path.
Concacaf noticed 32 nations enter the race to make the finals.
Spherical 1: The 4 lowest-ranked Concacaf nations battled it out in two-legged ties. Anguilla and British Virgin Islands eradicated Turks and Caicos Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands respectively, each on penalties.
Spherical 2: The highest 28-ranked nations, plus the 2 winners from Spherical 1, had been drawn into six teams of 5 groups. Groups play one another solely as soon as, slightly than dwelling and away. This stage will probably be performed in two blocks, with the primary was held in June 2024 with the second to return in June 2025.
The six group winners and 6 group runners-up will transfer on to Spherical 3.
– Take a look at the most recent fixtures and outcomes right here | Newest tables
Spherical 3: The 12 remaining groups will probably be drawn into three teams of 4 groups. This part will probably be performed in September, October and November 2025. The group winners will qualify for the World Cup, with the 2 runners-up with the very best report occurring to participate within the intercontinental playoffs.
There have been 54 FIFA-affiliated nations within the draw.
Nevertheless, Eritrea subsequently withdrew. Congo, in the identical group, had been suspended by FIFA on Feb. 6 resulting from authorities interference, although they’d misplaced all three group video games on the time.
Spherical 1: The groups are in eight teams of six nations, and one group of 4 (with Eritrea and Congo eliminated.)
The 9 group winners qualify for the World Cup.
This stage started in November 2023 and will probably be accomplished in October 2025.
The race to the World Cup is beginning to take form with qualifying on the midway stage.
– Take a look at the most recent fixtures and outcomes right here | Newest tables
Spherical 2: The 4 finest runners-up will enter playoffs (two semifinals and a last) to determine which one nation will go to the intercontinental playoffs. This stage will probably be performed in November 2025.
That is by a long way probably the most sophisticated path to the World Cup, with a layered qualifying course of that includes a twin group stage to search out the eight computerized qualifiers.
Spherical 1: The 20 lowest-ranked nations performed two-legged ties in October 2023. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chinese language Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore and Yemen superior.
Spherical 2: These 10 winners joined the 26 best-ranked nations. The 36 groups had been drawn into 9 teams of 4 groups, with the highest two nations going by way of to Spherical 3. This stage started in November 2023 and was accomplished in June 2024.
Superior: Australia, Bahrain, China, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan
Spherical 3: We’re now left with 18 nations, who’ve been drawn into three teams of six groups. Matches started in September 2024 and can run by way of to June 2025.
The group winners and runners-up will take the primary six locations on the 2026 World Cup and their marketing campaign is full.
Japan are set to grow to be the primary workforce to qualify for the World Cup after they subsequent play on Thursday.
The six nations who end in third and fourth transfer on to Spherical 4.
– Take a look at the most recent fixtures and outcomes right here | Newest tables
Spherical 4: The six groups on this stage will probably be drawn into two teams of three. They may play one another as soon as, so two matches, on impartial floor in October 2025.
The group winners take the ultimate two computerized locations on the World Cup.
The 2 runners-up proceed on to Spherical 5.
Spherical 5: A two-legged tie in November 2025 to earn the place within the intercontinental playoffs.
All 11 members of the OFC area took half.
Spherical 1: The 4 lowest-ranked nations performed a knockout format (two semis and a last) in Samoa in September 2024.
American Samoa, Prepare dinner Islands, Samoa and Tonga had been on this spherical. Samoa beat Tonga 2-1 within the last to advance.
Spherical 2: Samoa and the seven top-ranked nations had been drawn into two teams of 4 nations, with matches performed in October and November 2024. Video games had been held in Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
The highest two international locations in every group — New Caledonia, Tahiti, New Zealand and Fiji — went on to Spherical 3.
– Take a look at the outcomes right here | Closing tables
Spherical 3: 4 international locations stay, and can play a one-legged knockout format (two semis and a last) in New Zealand in March 2025.
Semifinals, March 21
New Caledonia vs. Tahiti
New Zealand vs. Fiji
The winners of the ultimate on Monday, March 24 qualify for the World Cup, with the losers transferring onto the intercontinental playoff.
Intercontinental playoffs (2 locations)
The playoffs, to be held in March 2026, will decide the ultimate two qualifiers.
Six international locations will participate. Every of the 5 confederations (other than UEFA) will present one nation. The host confederation (so for this version Concacaf) receives a second slot.
1 Africa
1 Asia
2 Concacaf
1 Oceania
1 South America
The 2 nations with the very best FIFA World Rating will probably be seeded and go straight into one of many two finals.
The 4 different international locations will probably be drawn to play a semifinal, feeding by way of to play a seed for one of many two locations on the World Cup.
The playoffs are resulting from be held in one of many World Cup host nations as a take a look at occasion.
