LISBON, PORTUGAL – OCTOBER 14: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates 1-1 during the World Cup Qualifier match between Portugal v Hungary at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on October 14, 2025 in Lisbon Portugal (Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates /Getty
PHILADELPHIA – With the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup heating up, several nations have already punched their tickets to the expanded 48-team tournament. The stakes are high for both historical football powers and first-time qualifiers.
The October FIFA World Cup Qualifiers have just wrapped up as of Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Qualified Teams (so far)
CONCACAF (North, Central America, Caribbean)
Hosts with automatic berths: USA, Mexico, Canada
AFC (Asia)
- Qualified: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
CAF (Africa)
- Qualified: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
CONMEBOL (South America)
- Qualified: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
OFC (Oceania)
UEFA (Europe)
Total nations qualified: 28
Total spots remain: 20 (including playoff berths)
Hosts & Automatic entry
As co-hosts, USA, Mexico, and Canada automatically claimed their spots in the tournament, bypassing the need to compete in qualifying.
Asia (AFC): Deep field, new faces
Asia has already confirmed eight direct qualifiers. Powerhouses such as Japan, Iran, South Korea, and Australia secured early berths.
Notably, Jordan and Uzbekistan qualified for the first time.
Qatar, having hosted in 2022, earned qualification through play this cycle — a first in its history.
Saudi Arabia punched its ticket after locking down a draw with Iraq in their final qualifier match.
DOHA, QATAR – OCTOBER 14: Players of Qatar line up during the National Anthems prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Qatar and United Arab Emirates at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on October 14, 2025 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Mohamed F
Africa (CAF): Historic firsts & traditional powers
Africa has delivered nine qualifiers, reflecting the confederation’s depth. Longstanding heavyweights like Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, and Ghana made it through.
Two new entrants making history are Cape Verde—which clinched its first-ever FIFA World Cup berth—and South Africa, returning after more than a decade.
TOPSHOT – Supporters celebrate Cape Verde’s victory against Eswatini during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Africa qualifiers group D match at a fan zone in Sao Vicente, Cape Verde, on October 13, 2025. A carnival-like atmosphere erupted in the streets of Ca
South America (CONMEBOL): Six giants locked in
South America’s six automatic slots were filled by Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Paraguay.
Europe (UEFA): Early qualifier & road ahead
From Europe, England officially secured its spot by winning all matches in Group K.
Several European teams are still battling through the UEFA qualifiers, where group winners earn direct passage and others will head into playoffs in March 2026.
In UEFA qualification, Norway is positioning itself as a frontrunner in Group I, riding a strong unbeaten streak and convincing results lately. They remain one of the teams closest to sealing direct qualification from Europe.
Italy, meanwhile, recently guaranteed a playoff spot after a 3–0 win over Israel, but still trails Norway in the group standings for direct qualification. Belgium is also among the teams pushing hard in its group but faces stiff competition and tight margins to claim a direct slot.
The UEFA qualifiers run through November 2025, with playoffs scheduled for March 2026 to determine remaining European entries.
RIGA, LATVIA – OCTOBER 14: Harry Kane of England celebrates scoring his team’s third goal from the penalty spot during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Latvia and England at Daugava Stadium on October 14, 2025 in Riga, Latvia. (Photo b
CONCACAF: Round four update
As the final round of CONCACAF qualifying races forward, the region’s path to securing all remaining World Cup berths is sharpening in intensity. FIFA and CONCACAF reports show a region-wide battle unfolding in three groups, with only three direct slots available and two intercontinental playoff places up for grabs.
Read FIFA’s update on the CONCACAF qualifiers online.
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What’s next & final slots
Remaining World Cup spots will be decided through:
- Ongoing qualifiers in each confederation
- Intercontinental playoffs involving teams from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and CONCACAF to fill the last two berths
- Continued European groups and playoff rounds into early 2026
As the field takes shape, keep an eye on these regions — dramatic finishes and breakthrough performances are still ahead.
The tournament’s full schedule:
- Group stages: 11-27 June
- Round of 32: 28 June-3 July
- Round of 16: 4-7 July
- Quarter-finals: 9-11 July
- Semi-finals: 14-15 July
- Third-place playoff: 18 July
- Final: 19 July
The Source: Information in this article was sourced from official FIFA World Cup reports.
FIFA World Cup
