With 41 spots remaining, 7 countries have secured their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The participating teams are the USA, Canada, and Mexico (co-hosts), Argentina (defending champions), Japan and Iran (Asian powers), and New Zealand (Oceania champions).
A 2-0 win versus Bahrain on March 20, 2025, enabled Japan to be the first qualifier from outside the host nations.
New Zealand’s 3-0 win against New Caledonia secured them the OFC Nations Cup.
A 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan on March 25 secured Iran’s qualification. With two games to go, Iran has a seven-point lead over the UAE in third place.
After Bolivia and Uruguay’s draw secured their top CONMEBOL ranking, Argentina clinched a spot.
In 2026, a 48-team World Cup will be played from June 11 to July 19, with 12 four-team groups.
The next stage includes the two highest-ranking teams per group and the eight best third-place finishers.
