Africa
Four of the nine automatic spots have already been filled, with the top four runners-up will compete in November's Pan-African Playoffs for one place in the Intercontinental Playoffs.
Egypt
Mohamed Salah scored twice as Hossam Hassan's side beat Djibouti 3-0 on Wednesday in Casablanca to bounce back. I will miss Qatar 2022 reaching the final with a game in hand. This will be Egypt's fourth final, although they have yet to win a game. Oddly enough, the Pharaohs still qualified for the first World Cup in 1930, but missed their ship from Marseille to South America. after the storm delayed them.
Morocco
The neutral favorites in the last final became the first African nation to qualify for the 2026 tournament, defeating Niger 5-0 on September 5 in Rabat. Qatar 2022 semi-finalists exited Group E with two games remaining after Tanzania's 1-1 draw with Congo-Brazzaville. The Atlas Lions have reached the finals six times and will co-host of the 2030 edition along with Portugal and Spain (the three opening matches will be in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay).
Tunisia
Likewise, the Carthage Eagles qualified with two games remaining in Group H. Mohamed Ben Romdane's last-gasp winner and goalkeeper Aymen Damen's defiance in Malabo against Equatorial Guinea saw Tunisia reach the final for the seventh time, although they are yet to progress beyond the group stage.
Algeria
Vladimir Petkovic's side secured their place with a comfortable 3-0 win over Somalia on Thursday. Mohamed Amoura scored twice to take the Wolfsburg striker's tally in the qualifying campaign to eight, while captain Riyad Mahrez added another. The victory took them four points clear of Group G runners-up Uganda with one round of matches remaining. This will be the fifth tournament for Algeria. World Cup appearance in the final, but for the first time since Brazil in 2014.
View full CAF standings Here.
Asia
Six of the eight countries have qualified directly, and one more spot will be up for grabs in the intercontinental playoffs following the regional playoffs in November.
Australia
Australia reached the final in June, recovering from a goal against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. Connor Metcalfe's first international goal just before half-time restored parity before Mitch Duke's header from Martin Boyle's free-kick three minutes into the second half completed the Socceroos' revival. After failing to beat Bahrain and Indonesia, Australia ended their campaign with victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia to automatically qualify for their sixth World Cup in a row.
Iran
There was considerable drama when Melli came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with their Group A rivals Uzbekistan on March 25 thanks to a brace from Mehdi Taremi. Iran reached the final for the first time in 1978 but has yet to progress beyond the group stage in six tournaments. Their finest hour to date came against the USA in Lyon in the 1998 final. The 2-1 victory sparked excitement on the streets of Tehran. They met again in Qatar, the group match ending 1-0 in favor of the Americans after Christian Pulisic's goal in the 38th minute.
Japan
The Blue Samurai cruised through the qualifying campaign, securing their spot with three group games remaining. Japan became the first nation to book a qualifying spot by beating Bahrain 2-0 in Saitama after Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored second-half goals. They will take part in the eighth world championship in a row. In Qatar, Hajime Moriyasu's team reached the 1/8 finals, but lost to Croatia on penalties.
Jordan
Ali Olwan's hat-trick sparked jubilation in Jordan as the 2023 Asian Cup runners-up qualified for their first World Cup final on June 5 after beating Oman 3-0 in Muscat and South Korea beating Iraq 2-0. Jordan's ruler, King Abdullah II, was photographed wearing a national team jersey as he watched the game from the Jordanian embassy in London, where he was visiting.
South Korea
Korea reached their 11th straight final with a win over 10-man Iraq at Basra Stadium on June 5 in what is expected to be Son Heung-min's swan song. The Tottenham great and Taegeuk Warriors captain will turn 34 during the final and said it will be his last tournament. Korea's stunning qualifying record is surpassed only by Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and Spain, although their disappointing run to the 2023 Asian Cup saw Jurgen Klinsmann replaced by Hong Myung-bo, who recorded wins over Oman, Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait in qualifying.
Uzbekistan
Welcome White Wolves, who have finally reached the World Cup finals. Some 2,800 miles from home, with a dismal 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi. The Uzbeks have finally achieved success at the international level, reaching the quarter-finals of the World Under-17 Championship, the round of 16 of the World Under-20 Tournament and the Paris Olympics. In Abdukodir Khusanov, who made his debut (albeit shakily) for Manchester City aged just 20, and 22-year-old striker Abbosbek Faizullaev, Timur Kapadze has two rising talents at his disposal.
View the full AFC standings Here.
Europe
A total of 54 countries (Russia is disqualified) are vying for a place in next year's final. The winners of the 12 groups qualify, with the four remaining spots secured through a play-off system involving the group runners-up and the Nations League group winners.
View full UEFA standings Here.
North America, Central America and the Caribbean
Three places are automatically allocated to the winners of three groups of four teams. The top two runners-up advance to the Intercontinental Playoffs.
View full Concacaf standings Here.
Oceania
One automatic seat assigned. New Caledoniathe French overseas territory, not recognized by FIFA until 2004, will take part in the intercontinental playoffs in March.
New Zealand
In a country where rugby union is a sporting religion, any All Whites success is something to be savored. New Zealand qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 16 years by beating New Caledonia 3-0 at Auckland's Eden Park, the fortress of their 15-player cousins the All Blacks. However, the victory did not come easily. Goalless in the first half, Darren Baizley's side lost their captain Chris Wood to a thigh injury early in the second half. It took an hour before Michael Boxall broke the deadlock, scoring his first international goal at the age of 36. Costa Barbarouses doubled New Zealand's lead soon after, before Eli Just rounded it up in the 80th minute.
View full OFC standings Here.
South America
All six direct seats are filled. Bolivia secured the confederation's place in the knockout stages with a surprise 1-0 victory over Brazil in El Alto.
Argentina
The tournament holders clinched their spot on March 25 when Bolivia drew 0-0 with Uruguay. The big question hanging over world champions Lionel Scaloni is whether Lionel Messi will play in the final. The Inter Miami striker has not yet revealed his intentions. “Well, as I said before, I don't think I'll play at the next World Cup – not because of my age, but the most logical thing is that I won't,” Messi said after helping Argentina beat Venezuela 3-0 last month. The evergreen 38-year-old then backtracked a bit, adding: “It's about taking it every day, trying to feel good and, above all, being honest with myself. When I feel good, I enjoy it. When I feel bad, frankly, I'm suffering and I wouldn't want to be there. So we'll see.”
Ecuador
Three reached the final – for the fifth time in a century – on 10 June, a goalless draw with Peru in Lima enough to secure Ecuador's place with two matches remaining. Second-place Ecuador beat first-place Argentina 1-0 in Guayaquil in a match that ended with both teams reduced to 10 players due to red cards. Argentina's Nicolás Otamendi was sent off in the 31st minute and the hosts took advantage of their numerical advantage when Enner Valencia scored a penalty deep into first-half stoppage time. Ecuador were also reduced to 10 men when Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was sent off in the 50th minute.
Colombia
Colombia is the highlight of any final and, having missed out on Qatar 2022, returned after James Rodriguez led his side to a 3-0 demolition of Bolivia on September 4, while Nestor Lorenzo's side entered the 2026 tournament with a game to spare. Tricolor reached the quarter-finals in 2014, and Luis Diaz boasts one of the game's brightest talents. The winger has scored 30 goals in his last two seasons at Liverpool, helping them win the Premier League, and has been in scintillating form since his summer move to Bayern Munich. One to watch: Benfica's record signing Richard Rios. The 25-year-old has made a brilliant start to his career at the Estádio da Luz after joining from Palmeiras.
Uruguay
Marcelo Bielsa, once famous at Elland Road, was in charge Celeste to their fifth consecutive World Cup with an impressive 3-0 win over 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 heading for his third World Cup as head coach. In 2002 FoolThe Argentine team was eliminated in the group stage, but he led Chile to South Africa 2010, where they lost to Brazil in the round of 16. Bielsa also has talent at his disposal. Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez may be gone, but Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde is making his contribution. His club manager Xabi Alonso compared him to a peak Steven Gerrard, saying: “Every manager would like to have Valverde in the team.”
Brazil
Carlo Ancelotti's side extended Brazil's record as the only team to play at every World Cup by defeating Paraguay 1-0 on June 10 to finish fifth in the standings, their lowest qualifying position. The five-time winners will take part in next year's tournament for the 23rd time, but with limited preparation time after arriving from Real Madrid in May, the Italian coach is relying on team spirit and individual talent. “I think more tactical work is needed to improve game strategy. All of this can be very important, but the most important part is not the strategy, but the attitude of the players on the field. It doesn't take a lot of preparation time,” says Ancelotti.
Paraguay
Paraguay will take part in the World Cup for the first time since 2010 after a difficult 0-0 draw at home to Ecuador on September 4. Gustavo Alfaro's side impressed by holding off their opponents and capturing the decisive moment they needed. Miguel Almiron, who left Newcastle in January, and former Brighton midfielder Julio Enciso, now at Strasbourg, are two players familiar to Premier League fans. Almiron was 16 years old in 2010 and the Atlanta United captain still remembers watching Paraguay's first match – a 1-1 draw with Italy in Cape Town – with his friends at his home in the San Pablo neighborhood of Asuncion. “It fills you with pride to see your country in this huge competition,” Almiron said. – You always dream about this.
View the full Conmebol standings Here.
