The qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are in full flow and on Tuesday, the defending champions Argentina became the first South American nation to book their spot in the mega event. (More Football News)
While Argentina are the first South American nation to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there are six countries who are already in the tournament. Three of them got automatic entries by the virtue of being the hosts of the competition while the other three passed the grueling qualification process like Argentina.
Here is a breakdown of teams that have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the spots remaining from different continental federations.
Teams Qualified For 2026 FIFA World Cup
United States
Canada
Mexico
Japan
New Zealand
Iran
Argentina
41 spots remaining...
FIFA World Cup 2026 Teams Confederation Breakdown
CONCACAF (North, Central America, and the Caribbean) Qualifiers Update
Total Spots: 6 (3 hosts + 3 via qualification) + 2 in playoffs
Qualified Teams:
United States (host)
Canada (host)
Mexico (host)
Spots Remaining: 3 direct + 2 playoff spots
CONMEBOL (South America) Qualifiers Update
Total Spots: 6 direct + 1 in playoffs
Qualified Teams:
Argentina (confirmed qualification after a 4-1 win over Brazil and subsequent results)
Spots Remaining: 5 direct + 1 playoff spot
AFC (Asia) Qualifiers Update
Total Spots: 8 direct + 1 in playoffs
Qualified Teams:
Japan
Iran
Spots Remaining: 6 direct + 1 playoff spot
CAF (Africa) Qualifiers Update
Total Spots: 9 direct + 1 in playoffs
Qualified Teams: None yet
Spots Remaining: 9 direct + 1 playoff spot
UEFA (Europe) Qualifiers Update
Total Spots: 16 direct
Qualified Teams: None yet
Spots Remaining: 16
OFC (Oceania) Qualifiers Update
Total Spots: 1 direct + 1 in playoffs
Qualified Teams:
New Zealand (qualified March 2025 after winning a four-team knockout tournament)
Spots Remaining: 0 direct + 1 playoff spot
Status: New Zealand beat New Caledonia in the final. New Caledonia advances to the inter-confederation playoffs.
Inter-Confederation Playoffs (to take place in March 2026)
Spots: 2
Participants: 6 teams (1 from AFC, 1 from CAF, 1 from CONMEBOL, 2 from CONCACAF, 1 from OFC)
Confirmed: New Caledonia (OFC)
Remaining: 5 teams to be decided
The next FIFA International Window is scheduled for June 2 to June 10, 2025 and the qualifiers will resume then.
