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world cup 2026 qualifying is approaching an exciting finale as nations battle to secure places in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
There have been 42 successful teams, Scotland included after their emotional night to end 28 years of suffering at Hampden Park,
There will also be at least four first-time qualifiers with Curacao, Jordan, Uzbekistan and cape verde Everyone is preparing for this historic occasion.
But there are six more places up for grabs in the 48-team expanded tournament, with the remaining European and inter-confederation play-offs set to fuel more drama on the road to 2026.
Here’s how things stand right now, with many people already counting down the days World Cup draw on Friday 5 December,
Europe
eligible positions available:16
Teams already qualified: England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Scotland
The final round of European qualifying has concluded, with each group winner receiving an automatic place in next summer’s tournament finals. The 12 group runners-up will then advance to the play-offs in March, along with the four teams that made the play-offs through Nations League performances, and four more teams who will qualify for the World Cup. This requires group-by-group analysis.
Group A
Germany spanking slovakia To qualify automatically into the group decider, Slovakia is going through to the play-offs. northern irelandThose who finished third also reached the play-offs thanks to their Nations League performance
group b
Switzerland Qualified automatically after a 1–1 draw with the second-placed team KosovoDue to which they had an advantage of three points going into the final match day. Kosovo will compete in the play-offs. Sweden has Graham Potter flew by parachute And they will also enter the play-offs thanks to their Nations League performance.
group c
What a drama. scotland Have secured their place in the first World Cup since 1998 After two stoppage-time stunners helped them recover denmark 4–2 at Hampden Park, beating the Danes to move into the automatic qualification place. Denmark will have to go through the playoffs.
group d
France are ahead after finishing second ukraine 4-0 at the Parc des Princes on Thursday. Ukraine defeated again iceland 2-0 to book a play-off place.
group e
The result of Group E was never in doubt – spain looked beautiful with a three point lead turkey And there was a huge lead in goal difference in the final day’s match. Their 2–2 draw with the Turks meant nothing changed and Spain advanced to the World Cup. Türkiye will be in the playoffs.
group f
Oh God! after Irish surprise win Above portugal Their hopes revived ahead of the must-win trip to HungaryTroy Parrott completed his hat-trick in the final minute to send the Irish into the play-offs at the expense of the hosts, who were seconds away from progressing. without suspended cristiano ronaldoPortugal regain top spot with 9-1 win armenia,
group g
Netherlands Almost all had qualified after the draw against poland and finished the work against lithuania On the final day, Poland finished second and thus secured a place in the play-offs.
group h
austria caught from behind bosnia herzegovina A 1–1 draw, ensuring they did not give up the top spot of their group on the final day. Bosnia-Herzegovina, needing a win to overtake the Austrians, settled for a play-off.
Group I Group I
norway Celebrated their return to the Men’s World Cup for the first time since 1998 with a 4-1 win ItalyWho reached the World Cup play-offs for the third consecutive time. The four-time World Cup-winning Italians have fallen at that hurdle on each of the last two occasions.
group j
belgium Defeated and automatically qualified for the World Cup Liechtenstein 7-0 in their last game on Tuesday.
wales were tied on points in second place Answer macedonia Going into their match on Tuesday, they made it easy for their opponents as they won 7-1 to move up to second place. Craig Bellamy’s team thus reached the play-offs, as did North Macedonia thanks to their previous Nations League performances.
of the group
England as group winners and albania have already claimed a play-off spot serbiawho lost 2-0 at Wembley On Thursday night.
Group L
croatia The surprise package became the third European team after England and France to book their place in the World Cup with a 3–1 win. Faroe Islands on Friday evening. czech republic Go to the playoffs.
of America
eligible positions available: six (including the three hosts United States, Canada and Mexico), plus two in the intercontinental play-off
Teams have already qualified: Curaçao, Panama, Haiti (as well as the United States, Canada and Mexico automatically as co-hosts)
The three group winners qualifying directly for the World Cup were decided in a tense final round of qualifying matches, with the best two runners-up (Jamaica and Suriname) advancing to the intercontinental play-off. Here’s how it played out.
Group A
There was direct firing between suriname And panama Final day and Panama eventually got the business done with a comfortable 3-0 win El Salvador, Suriname, which has never qualified for the World Cup, would have qualified with any win at the World Cup having already been eliminated. guatemala But instead they suffered a 3-1 defeat. However, Suriname did Now! Thanks to his injury-time consolation goal, it was enough to reach the Inter-Confederation play-offs, making them the second-best runners-up, ahead of Honduras on goals.
group b
steve mclaren’s Jamaica When failed to qualify straight Curacao It required a 0–0 draw on the final day in Kingston to reach the World Cup for the first time in its history – becoming the smallest nation to do so. Jamaica’s only hope of reaching its first World Cup since 1998 now lies in the Inter-Confederation play-offs in March, although McClaren will not be in charge after resigning in tears After the Curaçao draw.
group c
haiti Kept up their morale by defeating players who had already been eliminated on the last day. nicaragua Reached the World Cup for the second time after a 2–0 group stage exit in 1974. That win would only have been enough for an inter-confederation play-off spot if honduras was beaten costa rica But that match ended 0-0. The odds are so good that if Honduras had scored a late goal they would have qualified for the World Cup, but instead they were eliminated altogether, even missing out on an inter-confederation play-off spot due to Suriname’s injury-time consolation goal against Guatemala in Group A.
Africa
eligible positions available: Nine, plus one in the intercontinental play-offs
Teams have already qualified: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast
DR Congo speechless Nigeria to win the CAF play-off final, with captain Chancel Mbemba scoring the winner. cameroon In the semi-finals, they were sent to the inter-continental play-offs in March.
Asia
eligible positions available: Eight, plus one in the intercontinental play-off
Teams qualified: Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar
Iraq Down by scoring a goal in the 17th minute of stoppage time united arab emirates and secured a dramatic 3–2 aggregate play-off victory, thereby securing their place in the Inter-Confederation play-offs.
South America
eligible positions available: six, plus one in the intercontinental play-off
Teams qualified: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay
This was accomplished ages ago. World Cup champions Argentina became the first team to qualify, while Ecuador were a surprise runner-up. Brazil advanced despite finishing fifth, with Colombia, Uruguay and Paraguay also advancing. BoliviaThe seventh-place finish will enter the Intercontinental Play-Offs.
oceania
eligible positions available: one, plus one in the intercontinental play-off
Teams qualified: New Zealand
New Zealand has been the first beneficiary of the expanded tournament, as they have automatically qualified for the 2026 edition through the only spot available to Oceanic nations, rather than having to go through an intercontinental playoff as in previous editions. eligibility has already expired New Caledonia Made it to the Intercontinental Play-Offs.
Inter-confederation play-off
This means that six teams have been confirmed in the March inter-confederation play-offs. DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, Bolivia, suriname And New Caledonia All will compete for the remaining two spots in the tournament.
As the highest-ranked teams, DR Congo and Iraq will be seeded directly into their respective finals, where they will face the winner of the semi-final between two of the other four unseeded teams. The winners of those finals will advance to the World Cup. Suriname and New Caledonia are both trying to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in their history.