Full List of Countries That Have Officially Qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

• 42 countries have already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada
• Six more slots are up for grabs in the 48-team tournament set for 2026
• The Super Eagles will not be at the World Cup after failing to qualify for the second consecutive tournament

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the biggest in history, with the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time.

Co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the football showpiece promises more excitement and representation from countries across every continent.

With qualification rounds nearing their conclusion, several countries have already booked their place, while others battle through play-offs for the final spots.

The 2026 tournament will feature 16 slots for UEFA, nine for CAF, eight for AFC, six each for CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, and one guaranteed for OFC, GOAL reports.

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The remaining two slots will be determined through intercontinental play-offs.

While traditional heavyweights in Europe like Spain, England, France, Germany, and Portugal have secured qualification, Italy faces a tense play-off battle alongside 15 other UEFA nations for four remaining spots.

In Africa, Nigeria, despite its rich footballing history, missed out on qualifying, while Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and others booked their tickets.

The expanded format guarantees more representation for smaller nations and offers historic moments for underdogs like Curacao, the smallest country ever to qualify, and Haiti, returning to the World Cup after 52 years.

Confirmed teams for the 2026 World Cup

Here is the list of countries that have already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

Co-hosts:

Canada, Mexico, USA

Africa (CAF):

Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

Asia (AFC):

Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

Europe (UEFA):

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Oceania (OFC):

New Zealand

South America (CONMEBOL):

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Curacao, Panama, Haiti

These teams have secured direct entry through their continental qualification campaigns, setting the stage for a highly competitive World Cup in North America.

Playoffs and final confirmation

The remaining slots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be determined via two playoff routes: European playoffs and the intercontinental playoffs, Sky Sports reports.

European playoff teams: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Turkiye, Ukraine, Wales, Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia.

Intercontinental play-off teams: Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia, Suriname.

The final 48-team list will only be confirmed by March 31, 2026, following the conclusion of European qualifiers and the intercontinental play-off finals.

These decisive matches promise further drama, as nations fight for a chance to dethrone Argentina, who are the defending champions after winning the competition in 2022.

NFF releases statement after World Cup failure

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the leadership of the NFF has sent a personal apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following Nigeria's inability to qualify for the World Cup.

In a statement on X, the football body also extended their apologies to passionate fans who took their time to watch the encounter between Nigeria and DR Congo.

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Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.