The race to the 2026 World Cup: Salah, Egypt book their place

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The qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will feature an expanded field of 48 teams and be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, involves different formats across FIFA’s six confederations.

CAF (Africa) has introduced a new format where 54 member nations entered qualifiers, drawn into nine groups of six teams each playing home-and-away matches. The winners of these groups qualify directly. Additionally, the four best runners-up enter a playoff to compete for a spot in the inter-confederation playoffs, providing another path to qualification.

UEFA (Europe) will have 12 groups composed of four or five teams starting March 2025. Each group winner qualifies directly, while 12 runners-up and four best Nations League group winners (outside the top two in their qualifiers) enter playoffs. These 16 teams compete in knockout paths for the remaining four European spots.

CONMEBOL (South America) retains its 10-team round-robin format, with qualification beginning in September 2023. The top six earn direct World Cup spots. The seventh-placed team advances to the inter-confederation playoffs. Disciplinary rules such as suspensions apply during qualification.

CONCACAF (North, Central America, and Caribbean) will provide three direct qualifiers determined after multiple rounds starting March 2024, including a final round from September to November 2025 involving 12 teams. CONCACAF teams will also participate in the inter-confederation playoffs alongside representatives from other confederations.

AFC (Asia) began qualifiers in October 2023, with a multi-round process culminating in three groups of six in the final round (started September 2024). The top two teams from each group qualify directly. Teams finishing third and fourth advance to a fourth round playoff to determine further World Cup qualification and playoff slots.

OFC (Oceania) has yet to finalize details but will have one team in the inter-confederation playoff.

The inter-confederation playoff involves six teams: one each from AFC, CAF, and OFC; two from CONCACAF; and the seventh-placed CONMEBOL team. They compete in knockout matches based on FIFA rankings for the final two World Cup places.

Qualifying phases have already started in some confederations, and nations like Japan and Iran from Asia have secured their World Cup spots early. The overall process is designed to accommodate the expanded World Cup format, ensuring broader global representation with 48 teams competing in 16 groups in the finals.