Full List of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers grows as Norway & Portugal join in

The road to the biggest World Cup in football history is getting clearer. With qualifying windows wrapping up across the globe, Norway and Portugal have officially booked their places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, joining an expanding list of confirmed nations ahead of next summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Set to feature 48 teams for the first time, the 2026 edition will run from June 11 to July 19 and conclude with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Qualifying continues across November, while the remaining six spots will be decided through two separate play-off systems in March 2026.

Related: FIFA announces 2026 World Cup ticket presale, prices range from $60 to $6,000

Below is the updated picture of who’s in, who still has a chance, and how the final qualification paths will unfold.

Host Nations Already Qualified

• United States
• Canada
• Mexico

Related: FIFA confirms over 1 million tickets sold for the 2026 World Cup in North America

Europe: 16 Direct Spots (12 Confirmed)

Europe continues to produce the bulk of early qualifiers. With Norway and Portugal now confirmed, UEFA’s list stands at 12:

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

UEFA Play-Off Teams (16 nations competing for four places)

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine, Wales.

The European Play-Off draw takes place on November 20, setting up four knockout paths, each with a single-leg semifinal and final.

South America: All Spots Decided

CONMEBOL finished qualification with six direct teams and one play-off representative.

Direct qualifiers: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
Intercontinental play-off: Bolivia

Venezuela, Chile, and Peru have been eliminated.

North & Central America / Caribbean: Three Direct Spots + Two Play-Off Places

With the three hosts already in, the race is on for CONCACAF’s remaining berths. Round 3 concludes in November, with the three group winners earning automatic qualification.

Teams such as Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras and Curaçao remain strong contenders.

Two runners-up from those groups will head to the intercontinental play-off.

Africa (Nine Direct Spots + One Play-Off Place)

CAF’s first fully expanded qualifying cycle has wrapped up, delivering nine direct qualifiers:

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

Intercontinental play-off: DR Congo

Related: DR Congo end Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup dream in dramatic penalty shootout

Asia (Eight Direct Spots + One Play-Off Place)

All eight direct Asian qualifiers are confirmed:

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

Intercontinental play-off: Iraq

Oceania (One Direct Spot + One Play-Off Place)

OFC is settled:

Qualified: New Zealand
Intercontinental play-off: New Caledonia

Related: 2026 World Cup Playoffs: Possible Opponents, Schedule, Format, and Venue

Full List of Qualified Teams So Far

Asia (AFC) – 8 Teams

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

Africa (CAF) – 9 Teams

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

Europe (UEFA) – 12 Teams

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

North & Central America (CONCACAF) – 3 Hosts

Canada, Mexico, United States.

South America (CONMEBOL) – 6 Teams

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay.

Oceania (OFC) – 1 Team

New Zealand.

Play-Offs: How the Final Six Spots Will Be Decided

FIFA Intercontinental Play-Off (March 2026)

Six nations enter a two-bracket mini-tournament:

• DR Congo (Africa)
• Iraq (Asia)
• Bolivia (South America)
• New Caledonia (Oceania)
• Two teams from CONCACAF (TBD)

The two highest-ranked sides receive byes into the finals. The winners of those finals claim the last two World Cup places.

Matches are expected to be played in Mexico.

UEFA Play-Off Structure

Sixteen European teams will be split into four paths. Each path contains:

• One semifinal
• One final
• Both single-leg matches

The four winners join the 12 already-qualified UEFA nations, making up Europe’s 16-team allocation.

Where Qualification Stands Heading Into March 2026

With 42 teams qualified directly and host berths filled, only six spots remain:

• Four from UEFA
• Two from the intercontinental play-off

The November international window will settle the remaining CONCACAF groups and confirm the final play-off participants worldwide.

The countdown to the biggest World Cup ever is officially on.