Brazil Secures Historic Spot in 2026 World Cup as Qualification Race Heats Up
The 2026 FIFA World Cup landscape is gradually forming as the United States, Canada, and Mexico get ready to welcome the globe's premier sporting competition.
The World Cup makes its return to American soil for the first time since 1994. As host nations, the USMNT, Canadian, and Mexican national squads received automatic invitations to the tournament. These three co-hosts will compete alongside 45 additional qualifying nations, creating an unprecedented 48-team field in the tournament's history.
On March 20, Japan became the first nation to secure qualification by defeating Bahrain in Asian Football Confederation competition. Their win confirmed their spot among two guaranteed qualification positions in their Asian qualifier group.
New Zealand subsequently joined the World Cup lineup by securing their position as Oceania champions after victory against New Caledonia in March 2025.
Argentina emerged as the sixth team to qualify for the 2026 tournament. Remarkably, they achieved this before their final March qualifier match. On March 25, Uruguay managed a scoreless draw with Bolivia prior to Argentina's match against Brazil, guaranteeing La Albiceleste's place in the World Cup. Lionel Messi will defend his nation's world champion status in what might be his final international tournament wearing the iconic white and blue colors.
Iran secured their qualification following a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan, with the latter then achieving surprising first-time qualification in their history. Fellow AFC member Jordan will also make their World Cup debut next summer, while South Korea joined the qualified nations after their 2-0 victory over Iraq in June.
Brazil booked their place in the 2026 competition with a win against Paraguay on June 10, maintaining their remarkable distinction as the only country to participate in every tournament since its inception in 1930. Carlo Ancelotti's squad was soon followed by Ecuador, while Australia also confirmed their participation in their sixth consecutive World Cup.
World Cup 2026: Every Country to Qualify
Below is the complete list of nations qualified or invited to the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
Invited Teams
Qualified Teams
World Cup 2026 Qualification Breakdown
Confederation | 2022 Teams | 2026 Teams (TBC) |
|---|---|---|
AFC | 6 | 8 |
CAF | 5 | 9 |
CONCACAF | 4 | 6 |
CONMEBOL | 4 | 6 |
OFC | 0 | 1 |
UEFA | 13 | 16 |
Play-Offs | 0 | 2 |
World Cup 2026 Tickets
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