{"id":46886,"date":"2025-10-12T04:48:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T04:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/?p=46886"},"modified":"2025-10-12T04:52:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T04:52:42","slug":"world-cup-2026-which-countries-have-qualified-and-how-did-they-do-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/2025\/10\/12\/world-cup-2026-which-countries-have-qualified-and-how-did-they-do-it\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup 2026: which countries have qualified and how did they do it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Africa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Four of the nine automatic places have been filled, with the four best runners-up competing in November\u2019s pan-African playoffs for one place in the intercontinental playoffs. Senegal<\/strong>\u2019s 5-0 victory over South Sudan at the Juba Stadium on Friday kept the Lions of Teranga on top of Group B and they will book their spot in if beat Mauritania on Tuesday. Gabon\u2019s 4-3 win over the Gambia means Ivory Coast<\/strong> have to defeat Kenya at home on Tuesday despite thrashing Seychelles 7-0.

Egypt
<\/strong>Mohamed Salah scored twice as Hossam Hassan\u2019s side beat Djibouti 3-0 on Wednesday in Casablanca and made up for missing out on Qatar 2022<\/a> by reaching the finals with a game in hand. This will be Egypt\u2019s fourth finals, even though they have yet to win a game. Bizarrely, the Pharaohs did qualify for the first World Cup, in 1930, but missed their boat from Marseille to South America after a storm delayed them<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morocco
<\/strong>The undisputed neutrals\u2019 favourites at the last finals became the first African nation to reach the 2026 showpiece with a 5-0 thumping of Niger on 5 September in Rabat. The Qatar 2022 semi-finalists qualified from Group E with two games to spare after Tanzania\u2019s 1-1 draw in Congo-Brazzaville. The Atlas Lions have reached the finals six times and will co-host the 2030 edition<\/a> alongside Portugal and Spain (the three opening matches will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay).

Tunisia
<\/strong>Likewise, the Carthage Eagles qualified with two games to spare in Group H. Mohamed Ben Romdhane\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Algeria
<\/strong>Vladimir Petkovic\u2019s side secured their place with a comfortable 3-0 win over Somalia on Thursday. Mohamed Amoura scored twice, taking the Wolfsburg striker\u2019s 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\u2019s fifth World Cup<\/a> finals appearance but first since Brazil in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See the full CAF standings here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Six of eight nations have qualified directly, with one other place up for grabs via the intercontinental playoffs after a regional playoff in November.

Australia
<\/strong>Australia reached the finals in June having recovered from a goal down to beat Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. Connor Metcalfe\u2019s first goal for his country just before half-time restored parity, before Mitch Duke\u2019s header from Martin Boyle\u2019s free-kick three minutes into the second half completed the Socceroos\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Australia\u2019s<\/a>
Australia\u2019s Mitch Duke heads the winner against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. Photograph: Robert Cianflone\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Iran
<\/strong>There was no little drama as Team Melli twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with their Group A rivals Uzbekistan on 25 March thanks to a double from Mehdi Taremi. Iran first reached the finals in 1978 but in six tournaments have yet to venture beyond the group stage. Their finest hour thus far came against the USA in Lyon at the 1998 finals, a 2-1 victory sparking delirium in the streets of Tehran. They met again in Qatar, the group match ending 1-0 in the Americans\u2019 favour after a goal from Christian Pulisic in the 38th minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japan
<\/strong>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\u2019s side reached the last 16 only to lose to Croatia on penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jordan
<\/strong>Ali Olwan\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Korea
<\/strong>Korea reached their 11th consecutive finals with victory over 10-man Iraq at Basra Stadium on 5 June for what is expected to be Son Heung-min\u2019s swansong. The Tottenham great and Taegeuk Warriors captain will turn 34 during the finals and has said it will be his last tournament. Korea\u2019s formidable qualifying record is bettered only by Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and Spain, although their underwhelming exit at the 2023 Asian Cup led to J\u00fcrgen Klinsmann being replaced by Hong Myung-bo, who oversaw victories against Oman, Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait in qualifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uzbekistan
<\/strong>Welcome, the White Wolves, who finally reached a World Cup finals <\/strong>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 Under-20 tournament and the Paris Olympics. In Abdukodir Khusanov, who made his (albeit shaky) Manchester City debut aged just 20, and the 22-year-old winger Abbosbek Fayzullaev, Timur Kapadze has two burgeoning talents at his disposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See the full AFC standings here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Europe<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A total of 54 nations (Russia are suspended) are slugging it out for a place at next year\u2019s finals. The winners of 12 groups qualify, while the four remaining places are secured via a playoff system featuring group runners-up and Nations League group winners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See the full Uefa standings here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

North America, Central America and the Caribbean<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are three automatic slots for the winners of the three four-team groups. The two best runners-up progress to the intercontinental playoffs.

See the full Concacaf standings here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oceania<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One automatic place has been secured. New Caledonia<\/strong>, a French overseas territory not recognised by Fifa until 2004, will play in March\u2019s intercontinental playoffs.

New Zealand
<\/strong>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\u2019s Eden Park, the fortress of their 15-player code cousins the All Blacks. The win didn\u2019t come easy, however. Goalless in the first half, Darren Bazeley\u2019s 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\u2019s lead shortly after, before Eli Just wrapped up the result in the 80th minute.

See the full OFC standings here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

South America<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The six direct spots have all been all filled. Bolivia<\/strong>secured the confederation\u2019s playoff place with a surprise 1-0 win over Brazil in El Alto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argentina<\/strong>
The holders claimed their spot on 25 March when Bolivia drew 0-0 with Uruguay. The big question hovering over Lionel Scaloni\u2019s world champions is whether Lionel Messi will play at the finals. The Inter Miami forward has remained coy about his intentions. \u201cWell, it\u2019s like I\u2019ve said before. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll play the next World Cup \u2013 not because of age, but the most logical thing is that I won\u2019t,\u201d said Messi after helping Argentina beat Venezuela 3-0 last month. The evergreen 38-year-old then backtracked slightly, adding: \u201cIt\u2019s about taking it one day at a time, trying to feel good, and above all being honest with myself. When I feel good, I enjoy it. When I don\u2019t, honestly, I suffer, and I\u2019d rather not be there. So we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lionel<\/a>
Lionel Messi celebrates his second goal in the 3-0 win against Venezuela last month. Photograph: Luis Robayo\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ecuador
<\/strong>La Tri<\/em> reached the finals \u2013 for the fifth time this century \u2013 on 10 June, a goalless draw against Peru in Lima enough to assure Ecuador\u2019s 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. Argentina\u2019s Nicol\u00e1s Otamendi was sent off in the 31st minute and the hosts capitalised on their numerical advantage when Enner Valencia scored a penalty in first-half stoppage time. Ecuador were also reduced to 10 men when the Chelsea midfielder Mois\u00e9s Caicedo was dismissed in the 50th minute.

Colombia
<\/strong>Colombia are a colourful feature of any finals and, after missing out on Qatar 2022, are back after James Rodr\u00edguez led his side to a 3-0 defeat of Bolivia on 4 September, N\u00e9stor Lorenzo\u2019s side reaching the 2026 tournament with a game to spare. La Tricolor<\/em> progressed to the quarter-finals in 2014 and in Luis D\u00edaz boast one of the game\u2019s most compelling talents. The winger scored 30 goals in his last two seasons at Liverpool, helping them win the Premier League, and has been in scintillating form since a summer move to Bayern Munich. One to watch: Benfica\u2019s record signing, Richard R\u00edos. The 25-year-old has made a dazzling start to life at the Est\u00e1dio da Luz after his move from Palmeiras.

Uruguay
<\/strong>Marcelo Bielsa, once the toast of Elland Road, guided La Celeste<\/em> 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. In 2002, El Loco<\/em>\u2019s Argentina side crashed out in the group stage but he led Chile to South Africa 2010 where they were beaten in the last 16 by Brazil. Bielsa has talent at his disposal, too. Edinson Cavani and Luis Su\u00e1rez may have gone, but the Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde brings the fire. His club manager, Xabi Alonso, has compared him with a peak Steven Gerrard, saying: \u201cEvery manager would like a Valverde on the team.\u201d 

Brazil 
<\/strong>Carlo Ancelotti\u2019s side extended Brazil\u2019s record as the only team to play at every World Cup by beating Paraguay 1-0 on 10 June to finish fifth in the standings, their lowest qualifying position. The five-time winners will make their 23rd appearance in next year\u2019s tournament but, with limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the Italian coach is relying on team spirit and individual talent. \u201cI think more tactical work is needed to refine game strategy. All of this can be very important, but the most important part is not the strategy, it is the attitude of the players on the pitch. For that, it doesn\u2019t take much time to prepare,\u201d says Ancelotti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paraguay
<\/strong>For the first time since 2010 Paraguay will participate in the World Cup after a tricky 0-0 draw at home against Ecuador on 4 September. Gustavo Alfaro\u2019s side impressed by holding off their opponents to snare the crucial point they needed. Miguel Almir\u00f3n, who left Newcastle in January, and the former Brighton midfielder Julio Enciso, now at Strasbourg, are two players familiar to Premier League adherents. Almir\u00f3n was 16 years old in 2010 and the Atlanta United captain still recalls watching Paraguay\u2019s first match \u2013 a 1-1 draw with Italy in Cape Town \u2013 with his friends at his home in the San Pablo neighbourhood of Asunci\u00f3n. \u201cThat fills you with pride, to see your country in this huge competition,\u201d Almir\u00f3n said. \u201cYou always dream of that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa Four of the nine automatic places have been filled, with the four best runners-up competing in November\u2019s pan-African playoffs for one place in the intercontinental playoffs. Senegal\u2019s 5-0 victory over South Sudan at the Juba Stadium on Friday kept the Lions of Teranga on top of Group B and they will book their spot in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":46887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_post_source_name":"","_post_source_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3295],"tags":[1363,1648,4899,9951,8092,5569,4173,5274,7207,6202,10632,4988,3347,1172,5701,6001,9149,2422,1827,1061,1085,10387,2275,7995,6096,169,189,8927,9331,8908,7823,596,9109,8678,9742,8582,1111,5049,4066,9592,6060,6732,8663,6621,746,5500,6159,5247,6351,6225,10497,8166,7090,66,803,5318,2416,12234,8124,11294,10147,10954,6581,9259,1392,5459,2959,6654,1063,3351,6690,6926,10560,8029,3874,8382,1113,197,3684,10634,7699,12791,11252,501,7864,8126,6465,12309,1273,6283,6831,6657,12187,12085,6973,5187,1717,1390,7968,7964,1707,12993,2096,8900,1253,8874,8878,13256,5283,1975,267,8552,196,10379,432,194,8505,3457,12871,8830,8160,1364,1749,1361,6424,244,7185,4293,9247,8298,7972,7052,9030,6730,7333,1750,7444,7419,12524,723,6433,7766,1064,7231,5564,1742,5510,10885,10943,6571,12851,720,10415,36,5248,7208,594,12824],"class_list":["post-46886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-sport","tag-abu-dhabi","tag-africa","tag-african","tag-age","tag-algeria","tag-arab","tag-argentina","tag-asia","tag-asian","tag-atlanta","tag-attitude","tag-auckland","tag-australia","tag-bayern-munich","tag-benfica","tag-blacks","tag-bolivia","tag-brazil","tag-brighton","tag-buenos-aires","tag-caf","tag-campaign","tag-cape-town","tag-caribbean","tag-carlo-ancelotti","tag-chelsea","tag-chile","tag-christian","tag-city","tag-coach","tag-code","tag-congo","tag-crashed","tag-croatia","tag-da","tag-ecuador","tag-edinson-cavani","tag-egypt","tag-el","tag-elland-road","tag-embassy","tag-emirates","tag-enner-valencia","tag-europe","tag-feel","tag-fifa","tag-fire","tag-football","tag-french","tag-friends","tag-gabon","tag-gambia","tag-games","tag-germany","tag-goalkeeper","tag-guinea","tag-h","tag-host","tag-indonesia","tag-injury","tag-inter-miami","tag-international","tag-iraq","tag-italian","tag-italy","tag-ivory-coast","tag-japan","tag-jordan","tag-kenya","tag-king-abdullah-ii","tag-korea","tag-kuwait","tag-la","tag-land","tag-lead","tag-leeds","tag-lionel-messi","tag-liverpool","tag-london","tag-lost","tag-lyon","tag-manager","tag-manchester","tag-manchester-city","tag-marseille","tag-match","tag-mauritania","tag-men","tag-messi","tag-miami","tag-missing","tag-munich","tag-n","tag-nations","tag-nations-league","tag-new-zealand","tag-newcastle","tag-niger","tag-nine","tag-north","tag-olympics","tag-oman","tag-otamendi","tag-pablo","tag-paris","tag-penalties","tag-peru","tag-players","tag-playoffs","tag-portugal","tag-premier-league","tag-qatar","tag-real-madrid","tag-religion","tag-riyad-mahrez","tag-ronaldo","tag-rugby","tag-russia","tag-salah","tag-samurai-blue","tag-saudi","tag-saudi-arabia","tag-senegal","tag-somalia","tag-son-heung-min","tag-south-africa","tag-south-korea","tag-spain","tag-spare","tag-steven-gerrard","tag-storm","tag-strasbourg","tag-success","tag-sudan","tag-summer","tag-tanzania","tag-tehran","tag-the-game","tag-ticket","tag-tottenham","tag-tunisia","tag-uefa","tag-uganda","tag-union","tag-uruguay","tag-valencia","tag-venezuela","tag-victory","tag-watch","tag-white","tag-winners","tag-wolves","tag-work","tag-world","tag-world-cup","tag-world-cup-2026","tag-who","tag-xabi-alonso"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46886"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46889,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46886\/revisions\/46889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nsemgh.com\/api-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}