With the end of the international break in November 2025, the 2026 World Cup qualifiers officially concluded across all continents.
Forty-two teams have officially qualified for the tournament, while the remaining six spots will be decided next March: four through the European play-offs and two through the intercontinental play-offs.
There were some surprises in the qualifiers, particularly in Africa, where Nigeria and Cameroon were eliminated early. Italy, in Europe, will have to go through the play-offs, the same process they failed to complete in the 2018 and 2022 qualifiers.
This report will cover everything you need to know about the 2026 World Cup, including the qualified teams, the teams that will participate in the European and intercontinental play-offs, the draw date, the play-off schedule, and much more.
Teams qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Europe: Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, England, Croatia
South America: Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay
Africa: Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana
Asia: Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Japan, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
North America: USA, Canada, Mexico (remaining spots to be determined in the morning)
Oceania: New Zealand
2026 FIFA World Cup Draw Date
The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup play-offs:
Africa: DR Congo
Asia: Iraq
Oceania: New Caledonia
North America: (Two teams to be determined in the morning)
South America: Bolivia
Teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup European play-offs:
Italy
Turkey
Denmark
Romania
Ukraine
Poland
Wales
Czech Republic
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Albania
Kosovo
North Macedonia
Slovakia
Sweden
Northern Ireland
Draw date for the 2026 World Cup intercontinental play-offs
The draw for the intercontinental play-offs and the European play-offs for the 2026 World Cup will take place on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
The draw will begin at 3:00 PM Mecca time, while the matches will be played during the next international break between March 21 and 30, 2026.
