World Cup 2026: which countries have qualified and how did they do it?

Egypt: Mohamed Salah scored twice as Hossam Hassan’s side beat Djibouti 3-0 in Casablanca in October and made up for missing out on Qatar 2022 by reaching the finals with a game in hand.

Morocco: The undisputed neutrals’ favourites at the last finals became the first African nation to reach the 2026 showpiece with a 5-0 thumping of Niger on Sept 5 in Rabat. The Qatar 2022 semi-finalists qualified from Group E with two games to spare after Tanzania’s 1-1 draw in Congo-Brazzaville. The Atlas Lions have reached the finals six times and will co-host the 2030 edition alongside Portugal and Spain (the three opening matches will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay).

Tunisia: Likewise, the Carthage Eagles qualified with two games to spare in Group H. Mohamed Ben Romdhane’s last-gasp winner and the defiance of the goalkeeper, Aymen Dahmen, in Malabo against Equatorial Guinea ensured Tunisia reached the finals for a seventh time, although they have yet to progress beyond the group stage.

Algeria: Vladimir Petkovic’s side secured their place with a comfortable 3-0 win over Somalia in October. Mohamed Amoura scored twice, taking the Wolfsburg striker’s tally in the qualifying campaign to eight, and the captain, Riyad Mahrez, added another. Victory put them four points clear of second-placed Uganda in Group G with one round of matches remaining. It will be Algeria’s fifth World Cup finals appearance but first since Brazil in 2014.

Ghana: Mohamed Kudus got the winner at home to Comoros as Ghana celebrated qualification in October. Ghana have now reached five of the last six World Cup finals but their manager, Otto Addo, has played down expectations, claiming the current crop of players are “nowhere close” to the team that reached the 2010 quarter-finals.

Cape Verde: The Blue Sharks will make their World Cup debut at the 2026 finals after topping Group D with a 3-0 home win over Eswatini in October, leaving Cameroon in second place. Having only taken part in qualifying since 2002, Cape Verde will be the second-smallest nation by population to play at a men’s finals, after Iceland in 2018.

South Africa: Overcame a three-point deduction in their qualifying campaign to finish top of Group C after beating Rwanda 3-0 at home. Benin, who had a two-point lead going into the final round of games, fell from top to third after losing 4-0 to Nigeria, with Victor Osimhen’s hat-trick ensuring the Super Eagles secured second spot to advance to the playoff round in November. It is the first time South Africa have qualified for the finals since hosting the tournament in 2010.

Senegal: The Lions of Teranga cruised to a 4-0 victory over neighbours Mauritania in October to finish top of their qualifying Group B. Sadio Mané scored two of the goals, with Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye also on the scoresheet. Senegal finished above second-placed Democratic Republic of Congo, who have since progressed to the intercontinental playoff. 

Ivory Coast: The reigning African champions breezed past Kenya 3-0 in their final qualifier in October to finish top of Group F. Manchester United’s Amad Diallo scored one and set up another to take his country to their first finals since 2014.

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ASIA

Eight nations have qualified directly, with Iraq dramatically reaching March’s intercontinental playoffs after beating United Arab Emirates 3-2 on aggregate, with a winning penalty scored in the 17th minute of stoppage time in the second leg in Basra.

Australia: Australia reached the finals in June having recovered from a goal down to beat Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. Connor Metcalfe’s first goal for his country just before half-time restored parity, before Mitch Duke’s header from Martin Boyle’s free-kick three minutes into the second half completed the Socceroos’ revival. After failing to beat Bahrain and Indonesia, Australia ended their campaign with wins over Japan and the Saudis to qualify automatically, their sixth World Cup in a row.

Iran: Will they or won’t they be in the United States this summer? That is a question that lingers as war tears through the Middle East, with Tehran at the centre of it all. Iran are continuing with preparations for the World Cup, a tournament they first qualified for in 1978, but, as things stand, it feels highly unlikely that they will be there, especially after Fifa rejected a request from the country’s football federation for their matches to be moved from the US to Mexico and Donald Trump claimed it would not be appropriate for Iran to be at the finals at all “for their own life and safety”.

Japan: The Samurai Blue cruised through their qualifying campaign, sealing their ticket with three group games to spare. Japan became the first nation to book their place through qualifiers by beating Bahrain 2-0 in Saitama after Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half. They will compete in their eighth successive World Cup. In Qatar, Hajime Moriyasu’s side reached the last 16 only to lose to Croatia on penalties.

Jordan: Ali Olwan’s hat-trick triggered jubilation in Jordan as the 2023 Asian Cup runners-up qualified for their first World Cup finals on 5 June after beating Oman 3-0 in Muscat as South Korea beat Iraq 2-0. Jordan’s ruler, King Abdullah II, was pictured wearing a national team jersey as he watched the game from the Jordan embassy in London, where he was on a visit.

South Korea: Korea reached their 11th consecutive finals with victory over 10-man Iraq at Basra Stadium on June 5 for what is expected to be Son Heung-min’s swansong. The Tottenham great and Taegeuk Warriors captain will turn 34 during the finals and has said it will be his last tournament. Korea’s formidable qualifying record is bettered only by Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and Spain, although their underwhelming exit at the 2023 Asian Cup led to Jürgen Klinsmann being replaced by Hong Myung-bo, who oversaw victories against Oman, Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait in qualifying.

Uzbekistan: Welcome, the White Wolves, who finally reached a World Cup finals some 2,800 miles from home with a drab 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi. The Uzbeks are finally making an impact at senior international level, having reached the quarter-finals of the Under-17 World Cup, last 16 of the global U20 tournament and the Paris Olympics. In Abdukodir Khusanov, who made his (albeit shaky) Man City debut aged just 20, and the 22-year-old winger Abbosbek Fayzullaev, Timur Kapadze has two burgeoning talents at his disposal.

Qatar: Qatar beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in the fourth round of Asian qualifying to seal a spot at next year’s finals. It will be a second straight appearance at the finals for Qatar, who hosted the last edition in 2022.

Saudi Arabia: The hosts of the 2034 tournament claimed a 0-0 draw with Iraq in Jeddah to seal qualification. The result meant Hervé Renard’s side won Group B of the fourth round of Asia’s qualifying, finishing level on four points with Iraq but ahead of their neighbours on goals scored after a 3-2 win over third-place Indonesia in the three-team group.

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EUROPE.

A total of 54 nations (Russia are suspended) have been slugging it out for a place at next year’s finals. The winners of 12 groups have qualified, while the four remaining places will be secured via next Tuesday's four playoff deciders - which sadly, won't feature Heimir Hallgrimsson's Ireland. 

England: Thomas Tuchel’s side became the first European nation to secure a place at the 2026 finals with a 5-0 stroll past Latvia in Riga. England had a flawless record in Group K, scoring 22 goals without reply in eight matches.

France: Kylian Mbappé’s brace helped France to a 4-0 victory over Ukraine and sent them to the finals with a game to spare in Group D. The 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up will make their eighth consecutive appearance at the World Cup.

Croatia: The 2018 finalists completed a 3-1 comeback win over the Faroe Islands at home – with 40-year-old Luka Modric still pulling the strings in midfield – to become the third European nation to secure their place by topping Group L.

Portugal: Portugal qualified with a 9-1 hammering of Armenia that included hat-tricks from both Bruno Fernandes and João Neves. The reigning Nations League champions were forced to wait to book an automatic spot after losing 2-0 to Ireland. But Roberto Martínez’s side needed no help from their all-time top scorer in a one-sided match that assured them top spot in Group F with 13 points, giving Ronaldo the opportunity to play at a record sixth World Cup.

Norway: Erling Haaland’s incredible haul of 16 goals from eight qualifying matches has propelled his country to their first World Cup since 1998. “Haaland is a goal machine,” said Norway manager Ståle Solbakken. “I’m happy that Italian fans applauded him too. This is an audience who saw great players playing here over the years and I’m happy that they appreciated Haaland’s performance too.” 

Germany: Julian Nagelsmann’s team lost their first qualifier – 2-0 at Slovakia in September – but responded with five straight wins in Group A, culminating in a 6-0 rout of the Slovakians in Leipzig. The Newcastle forward Nick Woltemade scored four times in the last three matches, including the only goal in a crucial win against Nothern Ireland in Belfast in October. 

Netherlands: Ronald Koeman’s side found the net 27 times in their eight qualifiers, four of them coming against Lithuania in the final game which secured their place. Memphis Depay, who plays for Corinthians in Brazil, led the way with eight goals in the campaign, during which he became his country’s record goalscorer. The Dutch lost to Argentina in an enthralling and ill-tempered quarter-final in the last World Cup in Qatar.

Belgium: Rudi Garcia’s side hammered Liechtenstein 7-0 in their final qualification match to confirm their berth, finishing their campaign unbeaten. A fifth victory in eight games saw Belgium top Group J in front of Wales. After being powered to the semi-finals at the 2018 competition in Russia by their golden generation, the Belgians flopped last time out in Qatar, exiting at the group stage.

Spain: The European champions and Fifa’s No 1-ranked side sealed their spot courtesy of a 2-2 draw with Turkey in their final group game. Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored the winner in the Euro 2024 final against England, and Arsenal’s Mikel Merino were joint top scorers for Spain in qualifying, with six goals each. But all eyes will be on Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal in the summer.

Scotland: Twenty-eight years later, Scotland will be back in a World Cup finals. They earned their spot in dramatic fashion, with Kenny McLean’s strike from the halfway line securing a 4-2 victory over Denmark that saw them top Group C. 

Austria: Like Scotland, Ralf Rangnick’s side will be making their first appearance at a World Cup since France 98. A 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina secured top spot in Group H in the final game. Marko Arnautovic, now 36 and playing his club football at Red Star Belgrade, led the way with eight goals in the qualifying campaign.

Switzerland: Switzerland have reached every World Cup finals since 2006 and continued that record by topping qualifying Group B with four wins from six matches. Having exited at the last-16 stage for the past three World Cup finals, however, Murat Yakin’s side – who are captained by Granit Xhaka - will be hoping to finally go further this time around in North America.

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NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

The three automatic qualification spots have been taken by Curaçao, Haiti and Panama. Jamaica and Suriname go to the intercontinental playoffs as the two best runners-up.

Curaçao: The Dutch Caribbean island nation are going to their first World Cup and are the smallest nation by population (156,000) to have qualified for a finals. They sealed their place with a goalless draw in Jamaica in the absence of their coach, Dick Advocaat, the 78-year-old former Rangers and Netherlands manager missing the game for personal reasons. Curaçao went through qualifying unbeaten.

Haiti: Haiti, who last appeared in the World Cup in 1974, secured their spot with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua. The decisive victory was achieved in Curaçao, where the team have played home qualifiers owing to unrest in their homeland. They are coached by the Frenchman Sébastien Migné, whose previous posts include Congo-Brazzaville, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea. Two squad members, Hannes Delcroix and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, are in English football.

Panama: A 3-0 win over El Salvador took Panama back to the World Cup, their only previous appearance having come in 2018. They qualified unbeaten under the former Leeds and Union Saint-Gilloise coach Thomas Christiansen. Several of the squad play in Venezuela or Mexico. The right-back Michael Amir Murillo is with Marseille.

The US, Canada and Mexico are all taking part as tournament hosts.

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OCEANIA

One automatic place has been secured, by New Zealand. 

New Zealand: In a land where rugby union is a sporting religion, any success by the All Whites is to be savoured. New Zealand reached the World Cup for the first time in 16 years by beating New Caledonia 3-0 at Auckland’s Eden Park, the fortress of their 15-player code cousins the All Blacks. The win didn’t come easy, however. Goalless in the first half, Darren Bazeley’s side lost their captain, Chris Wood, to a hip injury early in the second. Only after an hour did Michael Boxall end the stalemate, scoring his first international goal aged 36. Kosta Barbarouses doubled New Zealand’s lead shortly after, before Eli Just wrapped up the result in the 80th minute.

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SOUTH AMERICA

The six direct spots have all been all filled. Bolivia secured the confederation’s playoff place with a surprise 1-0 win over Brazil in El Alto.

Argentina: The holders claimed their spot on March 25th when Bolivia drew 0-0 with Uruguay. The big question hovering over Lionel Scaloni’s world champions is whether Lionel Messi will play at the finals. The Inter Miami forward has remained coy about his intentions. “Well, it’s like I’ve said before. I don’t think I’ll play the next World Cup – not because of age, but the most logical thing is that I won’t,” said Messi after helping Argentina beat Venezuela 3-0 last month.

Ecuador: La Tri reached the finals – for the fifth time this century – on June 10, a goalless draw against Peru in Lima enough to assure Ecuador’s place with two matches to spare. Ecuador, who finished second in the standings, beat the team who finished top, Argentina, 1-0 in Guayaquil in a match that ended with both sides reduced to 10 players by red cards. 

Colombia: Colombia are a colourful feature of any finals and, after missing out on Qatar 2022, are back after James Rodríguez led his side to a 3-0 defeat of Bolivia last Sept , Néstor Lorenzo’s side reaching the 2026 tournament with a game to spare. La Tricolor progressed to the quarter-finals in 2014 and in Luis Díaz boast one of the game’s most compelling talents. 

Uruguay: Marcelo Bielsa, once the toast of Elland Road, guided La Celeste to their fifth successive World Cup with an impressive 3-0 victory against Peru at the Estadio Centenario on 4 September. In a mixed campaign Uruguay still managed to beat Brazil in Montevideo and surprise Argentina in Buenos Aires. The 70-year-old former Leeds manager is set for a third World Cup as a head coach. 

Brazil: Carlo Ancelotti’s side extended Brazil’s record as the only team to play at every World Cup by beating Paraguay 1-0 on June 10 to finish fifth in the standings, their lowest qualifying position. The five-time winners will make their 23rd appearance in next year’s tournament but, with limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the Italian coach is relying on team spirit and individual talent. 

Paraguay: For the first time since 2010 Paraguay will participate in the World Cup after a tricky 0-0 draw at home against Ecuador on Sept 4. Gustavo Alfaro’s side impressed by holding off their opponents to snare the crucial point they needed. Miguel Almirón, who left Newcastle in January, and the former Brighton midfielder Julio Enciso, now at Strasbourg, are two players familiar to Premier League adherents. 

Guardian