FIFA World Cup 2026

Find out which teams have failed in their quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 26.

The FIFA World Cup 26™ will see the participation of 48 teams, 16 more than the last seven editions of the tournament since 1998.

The division of places by continental confederations has already been defined:

AFC (Asia): Eight direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place CAF (Africa): Nine direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place Concacaf (North and Central America, plus the Caribbean): Six direct spots + two inter-confederation play-off places CONMEBOL (South America): Six direct spots + one inter-confederation play-off place OFC (Oceania): One direct spot + one inter-confederation play-off place UEFA (Europe): 16 direct spots

Here, we look at the teams whose hopes of reaching this FIFA World Cup have been ended on the road to Canada, Mexico and USA.

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Teams eliminated: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Yemen (28)

There are five qualifying rounds in total to determine the eight direct slots Asia has been awarded at the FIFA World Cup 26, with one additional nation progressing to the FIFA Play-off Tournament.

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Teams eliminated: 0

The 53 CAF nations are competing in eight groups of six teams and one group of five, following Eritrea's withdrawal, with each of the group winners qualifying automatically for the FIFA World Cup 26.

The four best group runners-up will advance to a play-off stage to determine the Mother Continent's sole representative at the FIFA Play-off Tournament.

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Teams eliminated: US Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands (2)

Co-hosts Canada, Mexico and USA all receive automatic berths, leaving three direct slots and a possible further two via the Play-off Tournament up for grabs in Concacaf.

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Teams eliminated: 0

CONMEBOL qualifying began on 7 September 2023 and will end in September 2025.

Ten teams are competing in a single league format and play each other home and away. The top six teams will qualify automatically for the World Cup, with the seventh-placed side entering the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.

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Teams eliminated: 0

Europe's qualifying competition is scheduled to begin in March 2025 and conclude in March 2026.

The first round will follow a familiar format, with 12 groups of four or five teams, and the section winners securing World Cup slots. The continent's four remaining berths will then be settled in a 16-team UEFA play-off competition involving the 12 group runners-up and four best-ranked UEFA Nations League section winners.

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Teams eliminated: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga (3)

For the very first time, Oceania will have a guaranteed qualification spot for the World Cup, as well as a second second slot via the Play-off Tournament.

The first of three preliminary rounds, which involved the continent's four lowest-ranked nations, took place in September 2024. A second stage, entailing two four-team groups, will then be played out over the next two months, before a decisive third round in March 2025 brings together four teams for semi-finals and finals that will determine OFC's World Cup and Play-off Tournament representatives.

Visit fifa.com for more details.