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Emotions ran precocious connected a nighttime of historical wins and last-gasp goals arsenic the past 8 of the 43 automatic qualification spots for the FIFA World Cup 2026 were sealed crossed Europe (UEFA), Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
With little than 7 months to spell until the expanded 48-team tourney co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, European heavyweights Spain and the tiny Caribbean federation Curacao were among those to publication a spot amid tears of joyousness and chaotic celebrations precocious connected Tuesday.
Curacao became the smallest state ever – with a colonisation of conscionable 156,000 – to suffice for the World Cup connected November 18 arsenic Haiti booked their instrumentality to the tourney for the archetypal clip successful 52 years, on with Panama.
It was besides a week of heartbreak and daze for immoderate of the biggest names successful football, including erstwhile European champions Greece and African powerhouse Nigeria, arsenic they were knocked retired of contention for the astir fashionable sports tourney successful the world.
Meanwhile, four-time satellite champions Italy find themselves successful the European playoffs on with 15 different teams successful a combat for 4 slots, and four-time Arab champions Iraq booked a spot successful the intercontinental playoffs.
Here’s what you request to cognize astir the qualified teams, the playoffs and the biggest names to miss retired connected the FIFA World Cup 2026:
Which countries person qualified for the World Cup 2026?
Following the past circular of nonstop qualification, here’s a continental breakdown of the qualified teams:
Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico and USA
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: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Oceania: New Zealand
Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Curacao, Panama, Haiti
Scotland’s midfielder Kenny McLean celebrates connected the transportation aft his team’s qualification successful the FIFA World Cup was confirmed with 2 melodramatic stoppage-time goals against 10-man Denmark [Andy Buchanan/AFP]When volition each the teams for the FIFA World Cup 2026 beryllium confirmed?
As precocious arsenic March 31, 2026. With the European qualification rounds stretching to March and the intercontinental playoff last besides scheduled for the aforesaid month, we volition not cognize our last 48 teams for the World Cup until little than 3 months earlier the tournament.
Which teams are successful the World Cup 2026 playoffs?
The playoffs are divided into 2 parts: European and intercontinental.
The European limb volition seal the past 4 UEFA spots successful the World Cup, portion the intercontinental playoff volition spot representatives of each different continental groups contention for the past 2 berths.
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 playoff teams: Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname
How bash the European playoffs for the FIFA World Cup 2026 work?
After 8 months of group-stage qualifying matches, 12 of the 16 European teams – the astir for immoderate continent – astatine the World Cup were sealed erstwhile the 12 radical winners were confirmed, with erstwhile champions Spain among them.
The past 4 places volition beryllium determined successful the playoffs, which volition beryllium contested by 16 teams – 12 radical runners-up from the regular qualifying circular and the champion 4 UEFA Nations League radical winners – successful March.
The teams volition beryllium divided into 4 playoff paths and 4 pots of 4 teams each, with the 12 radical runners-up successful 3 pots and the 4 different teams successful the 4th pot.
Each of the 4 paths volition comprise 2 single-leg semifinals and 1 single-leg final. The teams for the paths volition beryllium drawn aboriginal connected Wednesday.
The winners of the 4 finals volition drawback the past remaining UEFA spots for the World Cup.
The semifinals volition beryllium played connected March 26 and the finals connected March 31.
Italy failed to suffice for the World Cup arsenic array toppers and volition person to combat for a spot successful the European playoffs [Alberto Pizzoli/AFP]What are the intercontinental playoffs for the World Cup 2026 and however bash they work?
The intercontinental playoffs find the past 2 non-European finalists for the World Cup, with six teams from the different 4 continental shot bodies.
Asia volition beryllium represented by Iraq, Africa by DR Congo, CONCACAF by Jamaica and Suriname, Oceania by New Caledonia and South America by Bolivia.
The apical 2 seeded teams – Iraq and DR Congo – person earned nonstop qualification for the 2 finals, portion the different 2 finalists volition beryllium determined via 2 semifinals played betwixt the 4 remaining teams.
The docket for the intercontinental playoffs has not been confirmed.
Which large teams person been eliminated from qualification?
Nigeria were among the latest large names to beryllium eliminated from the qualification process, pursuing connected from Chile, who were third-place finishers successful 1962.
While China are not considered among the shot powerhouses successful Asia, their absorption connected gathering the crippled astatine location and seeing themselves successful different World Cup, pursuing their 2002 appearance, was crushed connected June 5.
Some of the different daze omissions: Cameroon, Mali, Costa Rica, Greece and Serbia.
Nigeria’s was 1 of the biggest daze eliminations from the World Cup 2026 pursuing their nonaccomplishment to DR Congo [Abdelmjid Rizkou/Reuters]When and wherever is the gully for the FIFA World Cup 2026?
US President Donald Trump confirmed, successful August, that the gully for the World Cup volition instrumentality spot connected December 5 astatine the Kennedy Center successful Washington, and didn’t regularisation retired that helium himself mightiness oversee the event.
The gully volition statesman astatine noon section clip (17:00 GMT).
Will Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi play successful the FIFA World Cup 2026?
Earlier this month, Ronaldo confirmed the tourney volition beryllium his swansong connected football’s biggest stage.
“Definitely, yes, due to the fact that I volition beryllium 41 years aged [at the World Cup],” said the Portuguese superstar, who is besides the apical scorer successful past with 143 planetary goals.
“I gave everything for football. I’ve been successful the crippled for the past 25 years. I did everything. I person galore records successful the antithetic scenarios successful the clubs and besides successful the nationalist teams. I’m truly proud. So let’s bask the moment, unrecorded the moment.”
Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a reddish paper during Portugal’s World Cup 2026 qualifying lucifer against Ireland but volition apt pb his squad astatine the World Cup 2026 [Peter Morrison/AP]Meanwhile, Messi has besides expressed anticipation that helium volition pb Argentina’s rubric defence successful North America but acknowledged that his property and fittingness volition dictate his role.
Speaking to NBC News successful October, the eight-time Ballon d’Or victor said helium volition instrumentality clip adjacent twelvemonth to measure his carnal information earlier deciding whether to play successful the tournament.
“It’s thing bonzer to beryllium capable to beryllium successful a World Cup, and I would emotion to,” the Argentinian skipper said.
“I would similar to beryllium there, to beryllium well, and beryllium an important portion of helping my team, if I americium there. I’m going to measure that connected a day-to-day ground erstwhile I commencement pre-season adjacent twelvemonth with Inter, and spot if I tin truly beryllium 100 percent, if I tin beryllium useful, and past marque a decision.
“I’m truly anxious due to the fact that it’s a World Cup. We’re coming disconnected winning the past one, and being capable to support it connected the tract again is spectacular, due to the fact that it’s ever a imagination to play with the nationalist team.”
Argentina’s Lionel Messi won his archetypal FIFA World Cup astatine the Lusail Stadium successful Lusail, Qatar, connected December 18, 2022 [File: Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]When is the FIFA World Cup 2026 scheduled?
The tourney begins connected June 11 and ends connected July 19.
Who volition big the FIFA World Cup 2026 final?
The tourney volition statesman astatine the Mexico City Stadium, portion the US volition big the last astatine the MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey.
English (US) ·