The lineup for the 2026 FIFA World Cup became clearer on Tuesday, as several top national teams secured their places at football’s biggest tournament.
With the latest round of qualifiers completed, 28 nations have now booked their tickets, while 20 spots remain to be decided through continental and intercontinental playoffs, as well as Europe’s ongoing qualifying stage.
When and where is the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico marking the first time three countries will stage the event.
- Opening match: June 11, 2026, in Mexico City
- Final: July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA
This will be the largest and longest World Cup ever, lasting 39 days and featuring 48 teams up from 32 in 2022.
When will all the teams be confirmed?
The final qualifiers will conclude with the intercontinental playoffs, scheduled to finish by March 31, 2026 less than three months before kickoff.
While Europe’s qualifying stage runs until March, most other confederations will wrap up their matches by late 2025.
What are the FIFA intercontinental playoffs?
FIFA World Cup allocates two final World Cup spots through intercontinental playoffs involving the best non-qualified teams from the six regional confederations. These matches will decide the last entrants to the 48-team field.
When and where is the draw?
The official draw for the tournament will be held on December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
US President Donald Trump, flanked by Vice President JD Vance and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, confirmed the venue and hinted he might take part in the ceremony.
Tournament format
The expanded format will include 12 groups of four teams, with the top two and the eight best third-placed sides advancing to a new round of 32.
This marks a major increase from the 1994 edition in the US, which featured just 24 teams.
Hosting cities and match distribution
- United States: 11 host cities Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey/New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle.
- Canada: 13 matches split between Toronto and Vancouver.
- Mexico: 13 matches across Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
The final will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Trump on venue safety
President Trump has said he may relocate matches within the US if certain cities are deemed unsafe.
“We’re going to make sure they’re safe,” he told reporters on September 26, singling out Seattle and San Francisco for concerns about local governance.
FIFA World Cup
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, also held in the US, experienced significant heat and thunderstorm disruptions.
To mitigate such issues, several venues including Arlington, Atlanta, and Houston will use retractable roofs, while Inglewood and Vancouver have fixed ones.
FIFA World Cup
Argentina will arrive as defending champions after their thrilling 4–2 penalty shootout victory over France in the Qatar 2022 final, following a dramatic 3–3 draw after extra time.
Teams qualified so far
Hosts: Canada, Mexico, USA
Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Europe: England
Oceania: New Zealand
South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
Teams still in contention
- Africa: Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon, Nigeria (playoffs in November)
- Asia: UAE, Iraq (playoffs on November 13 and 18)
- Europe: 53 teams still competing for 16 spots; qualification ends March 2026
- North & Central America: 12 teams remain in contention; group stage ends November 18
- Oceania: New Caledonia to contest the intercontinental playoffs
- South America: Bolivia to enter the intercontinental playoffs
