The journey to the FIFA world cup 2026 has begun. The world cup will be hosted in three different countries – USA, Canada and Mexico. The competition will be hosted from June-July 2026. The tournament will include 48 teams for the first time since 1998.
The first nation to qualify alongside the hosts were Japan, who secured an eighth consecutive World Cup appearance on 20 March 2025. Defending champions Argentina secured their spot a few days later.
The 2026 World Cup final will be held at the New York New Jersey Stadium on 19 July 2026, marking the second men’s World Cup final hosted in the USA, following the 1994 world cup. The FIFA world cup 26 is being played in three countries for the first time.
It will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries; the main host country of matches is the United States, while Canada and Mexico will be the auxiliary hosts.
The list of nations that qualified for the world cup
| 1. | USA (North America) | Hosts |
| 2. | Canada (North America) | Hosts |
| 3. | Mexico (South America) | Hosts |
| 4. | Japan (Asia) | 20 March 2025 |
| 5. | New Zealand (Oceania) | 24 March 2025 |
| 6. | Islamic Republic of Iran (Asia) | 25 March 2025 |
| 7. | Argentina (South America) | 25 March 2025 |
| 8. | Uzbekistan (Asia) | 5 June 2025 |
| 9. | Republic of Korea (Asia) | 5 June 2025 |
| 10. | Jordan (Asia) | 5 June 2025 |
| 11. | Australia (Australia) | 10 June 2025 |
| 12. | Brazil (South America) | 10 June 2025 |
| 13. | Ecuador (South America) | 10 June 2025 |
| 14. | Uruguay (South America) | 4 September 2025 |
| 15. | Colombia (South America) | 4 September 2025 |
| 16. | Paraguay (South America) | 4 September 2025 |
| 17. | Morocco (Africa) | 5 September 2025 |
| 18. | Tunisia (Africa) | 8 September 2025 |
| 19. | Egypt (Africa) | 8 October 2025 |
| 20. | Algeria (Africa) | 9 October 2025 |
| 21. | Ghana (Africa) | 12 October 2025 |
| 22. | Cabo Verde (Africa) | 13 October 2025 |
| 23. | Saudi Arabia (Asia) | 14 October 2025 |
| 24. | Qatar (Asia) | 14 October 2025 |
| 25. | England (Europe) | 14 October 2025 |
| 26. | Côte d’Ivoire (Africa) | 14 October 2025 |
| 27. | South Africa (Africa) | 14 October 2025 |
| 28. | Senegal (Africa) | 14 October 2025 |
Teams yet to qualify?
Countries like Portugal, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain, Norway do have high chances of qualifying for the FIFA world cup since they have been the favourites throughout the FIFA world cup history.
Written by: Atin Kevin Fernandez