The 2026 World Cup, which is going down in the US, Canada and Mexico, begins on June 11 subsequent yr. Will probably be the twenty third version of the event and the primary with 48 nations competing.
Qualification is already below method across the globe as groups battle to achieve the world’s largest sporting occasion.
Which nations have already secured their spot in North America subsequent summer time? What number of locations are awarded to every continental confederation? How far into the qualification course of are these six areas?
Right here is The Athletic’s information to the state of play, which might be up to date as qualification progresses.
What number of groups from every confederation might be on the World Cup?
Listed below are the six confederations — which characterize each FIFA-recognised nation on the planet — and what number of locations every has been allotted on the event:
AFC (Asia): Eight direct locations and one group will compete within the inter-confederation play-offs.
CAF (Africa): 9 direct locations and one group will compete within the inter-confederation play-offs.
CONCACAF (North America): Three direct locations and two groups will compete within the inter-confederation play-offs. This excludes hosts United States, Canada and Mexico, who all robotically certified as co-hosts.
USMNT have already certified for the World Cup as co-hosts (Julio Aguilar/Getty Photographs)
CONMEBOL (South America): Six direct locations and one group will compete within the inter-confederation play-offs.
OFC (Oceania): One direct place and one group will compete within the inter-confederation play-offs.
UEFA (Europe): Sixteen direct locations.
The inter-confederation play-offs, that are set to happen in March 2026, will contain six groups, and two of them will advance to the World Cup. Oceania’s New Caledonia are the one aspect assured to be competing within the play-offs proper now.
Which nations have certified?
United States (North America)
Earlier World Cup appearances: 11
Finest efficiency: Third place in 1930
Head coach: Mauricio Pochettino
The US are internet hosting the World Cup for the second time — the primary was in 1994 — and below former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea supervisor Mauricio Pochettino might be determined to carry out effectively. They certified robotically as co-hosts.
USMNT haven’t obtained previous the spherical of 16 since 2002 and solely as soon as have they reached the semi-finals — within the inaugural competitors in 1930 after they had been knocked out by Argentina.
Pochettino’s aspect have misplaced their final two video games — 0-1 to Panama and 1-2 to Canada within the CONCACAF Nations League Finals — and wish to enhance if they’re to make any sort of mark at their very own event.
Their subsequent two matches are friendlies towards Turkey (in East Hartford, Connecticut) and Switzerland (in Nashville, Tennessee) in June.
They are going to then compete, as co-hosts with Canada, within the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which runs from June 14 to July 6 this summer time.
Canada (North America)
Earlier World Cup appearances: Two
Finest efficiency: Group stage in 1986 & 2022
Head coach: Jesse Marsch
The Canadians are taking part in at back-to-back World Cups for the primary time and below former Leeds United supervisor Jesse Marsch might be aiming for a maiden look within the knockout stage. They certified robotically as co-hosts.
Marsch will lead Canada to their third World Cup (Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Photographs)
Canada misplaced to Mexico within the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Nations League Finals earlier this month, however secured a formidable victory over USMNT within the third-place play-off.
Their subsequent matches are friendlies towards Ukraine and Ivory Coast in June (with each going down in Toronto) earlier than the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup begins.
Mexico (North America)
Earlier World Cup appearances: 17
Finest efficiency: Quarter-finals in 1970 & 1986
Head coach: Javier Aguirre
Mexico are internet hosting the lads’s World Cup for a report third time, after beforehand doing so in 1970 and 1986. Like USMNT and Canada, they certified robotically.
The Mexicans haven’t made the quarter-finals of the event since 1986 and had been knocked out within the spherical of 16 at seven World Cups in a row from 1994 to 2018.
Nonetheless, they’re the reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup and CONCACAF Nations League champions (pictured high with the trophy) and, on paper, they’re the strongest of the three host nations.
Like USMNT, Mexico face Switzerland and Turkey in friendlies in June. They are going to then try and defend their CONCACAF Gold Cup crown in the US and Canada.
Japan (Asia)
Earlier World Cup appearances: Seven
Finest efficiency: Spherical of 16 in 2002, 2010, 2018 & 2022
Head coach: Hajime Moriyasu
Japan grew to become the primary nation, aside from the three host nations, to qualify for the World Cup with their 2-0 victory over Bahrain on March 20. Will probably be their eighth consecutive look on the event.
Ayase Ueda is Japan’s high scorer in qualifying thus far, with the 26-year-old Feyenoord striker discovering the web eight instances.
Ayase Ueda performed his half for Japan (Koji Watanabe/Getty Photographs)
Japan nonetheless have two video games left to play in qualifying (towards Australia and Indonesia), with these matches going down in June.
New Zealand (Oceania)
Earlier World Cup appearances: Two
Finest efficiency: Group stage in 1982 & 2010
Head coach: Darren Bazeley
New Zealand are again on the World Cup for the primary time since 2010, the place they had been eradicated within the group stage after drawing all three of their video games.
That is the primary World Cup the place Oceania is assured a spot on the event, and given Australia qualify within the Asian part, it was at all times probably that New Zealand could be in North America subsequent summer time.
The ‘All Whites’ breezed by means of qualifying, successful all three of their group video games by an mixture scoreline of 19-1. They then beat Fiji 7-0 within the semi-finals on March 21 earlier than defeating New Caledonia 3-0 within the closing on March 24 to e-book their place on the World Cup.
Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wooden, who performed on the 2010 World Cup, was New Zealand’s high scorer in qualifying with 9 targets.
Iran (Asia)
Earlier World Cup appearances: Six
Finest efficiency: Group Stage in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 & 2022
Head coach: Amir Ghalenoei
Iran have reached their fourth World Cup in a row with two video games to spare and are unbeaten in qualification thus far. They secured their place in North America with a 2-2 draw towards Uzbekistan on March 25.
Inter Milan’s Mehdi Taremi has been their high scorer with 9 targets and Iran play Qatar and North Korea in June of their closing two matches.
What stage of qualification is every confederation at?
AFC (Asia): The third of 5 rounds, with six sides qualifying robotically when this stage ends in June.
CAF (Africa): The primary spherical, with the 9 group winners qualifying robotically when this stage ends in October.
CONCACAF (North America): The primary group stage, with 12 groups advancing to the following spherical of qualification when this stage ends in June. The subsequent spherical will see these sides break up into three teams of 4, with the winner of every qualifying for the World Cup.
CONMEBOL (South America): The one stage, which is a 10-team group containing all the confederation’s members. All the perimeters play one another dwelling and away, and the ultimate set of matches are in September. The highest six sides will qualify robotically.
OFC (Oceania): It has completed, with New Zealand qualifying. New Caledonia will compete within the inter-confederation play-offs.
UEFA (Europe): It has simply begun, with six of the 12 teams underway. The ultimate video games in all the teams might be performed in November.
(High picture: Mexico after successful the CONCACAF Nations League closing on March 23; by Luiza Moraes by way of Getty Photographs)
