Cape Verde secure World Cup qualification for first time (0:54)Cape Verde make history after beating Eswatini 3-0 to qualify for the 2026 World Cup for the first time. (0:54)
Dale JohnsonOct 14, 2025, 08:30 AM ETCloseFollow on X
QUALIFIED (19/45): Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde
How teams can qualify as the group stage ends this week
Europe (UEFA) 12 auto + 4 via confederation playoff
North America, Central America, Caribbean (Concacaf) 3 auto + 2 enter playoff
Qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup began on Oct. 12, 2023, when countries from the Asian confederation played their first round of matches. Myanmar’s Lwin Moe Aung scored the very first goal in a 5-1 win over Macau.
All confederations are drawing to a close, but we’re still a long way from discovering the full list of 45 nations that will join hosts United States, Mexico and Canada to make up the field of 48.
Europe and Concacaf: Qualifying doesn’t end until November, but we could see the first few European countries book their places.
Africa: The final two rounds of the group stage take place in October, when we will discover the seven nations that will join Morocco and Tunisia, plus the interconfederation playoff contenders.
Asia: The fourth round is played in October, when we will find out the final two automatic qualifiers, along with the two interconfederation playoff contenders.
Round 1: The teams are in eight groups of six nations, and one group of five (with Eritrea removed).
NB: To determine the best second-place teams, the results of the team to finish sixth in the six-team groups are removed.
So, if South Africa win by one goal they have to hope Benin lose. If South Africa win by two goals and Benin draw that should be enough, as Benin would need to be involved in a score draw of at least 3-3. If South Africa win by three or more goals and Benin draw, South Africa qualify as group winners.
And there’s a twist. If Nigeria win 2-1, and disciplinary record is identical, FIFA will hold a random draw to determine their positions in the table. Going into the final game, Benin have 14 yellows, Nigeria have 13, with no red cards for either.
Group H: TUNISIA (28) have qualified. Namibia (15) took second place but they have the worst record of all the runners-up and will not be in the playoffs.
Group A: EGYPT (23) qualified with a 3-0 win over rock-bottom Djibouti (1) on Wednesday, on the back of two goals from Mohamed Salah. On Sunday, Burkina Faso (21) put themselves in with a strong chance of one of the playoff spots with a 3-1 win over Ethiopia.
Group E: MOROCCO (21) have qualified. Niger (15) confirmed second place by winning in Zambia on Sunday, and they must now wait to see if they have enough points for a playoff.
Round 2: The four best runners-up will enter CAF playoffs (two semifinals and a final) to decide which one country will go to the interconfederation playoffs. This stage will be played on neutral ground in Morocco in November 2025.
The fixtures will be created using the FIFA World Ranking released at the end of October, with the highest rank playing the lowest rank, and second facing third. The winners of those two ties will then meet to move on to the March playoffs.
There are 55 European nations, although 54 will compete as Russia remain suspended due to the invasion of Ukraine.
The 12 group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, with the 12 runners-up entering the playoff system.
Qualifying began in March 2025 when most of the European teams who were not in UEFA Nations League (UNL) action played their first matches.
The teams that were in the UNL finals only played their first games in September so we’re still a way off from discovering the qualifiers — but a two could come on Tuesday.
Group A: Germany (9, +5) and Slovakia (9, +3) are in the box seat, and Northern Ireland (6, +1) will surely have to win in Slovakia on Nov. 14 to stay in contention. The final group game between Germany and Slovakia in Leipzig on Nov. 17 looks like being the decider, though. If Northern Ireland miss out on the top two, they are almost certain to get a playoff through the Nations League route. Luxembourg (0) are out.
Group C: Denmark (10, +11) and Scotland (10, +5) are the only two teams left in contention. On Nov. 15, it’s Denmark vs. Belarus so Scotland will surely have to win in Greece to stay in the hunt for automatic qualification. If that does happen, the group is set up for a decider between Scotland and Denmark in Glasgow on Nov. 18; that looks like being must-win for Scotland as their goal difference is not as good. Greece and Belarus are eliminated.
Nov. 18: If Bosnia and Austria both win (or results to keep the two teams in touch), then they meet each other in Vienna to decide who qualifies automatically.
The final four places at the World Cup will be determined via the UEFA playoffs, to be played in March 2026. There is no path to the World Cup through FIFA’s interconfederation playoffs.
The UEFA playoffs involve 16 teams: the 12 group stage runners-up plus the four best-ranked group winners from the UNL, who did not finish in the top two in World Cup qualifying. This creates four routes, each with four teams featuring a one-legged semifinal and a final for a place at the World Cup.
The priority order for the four World Cup playoff places through the UNL is: Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, England, Norway, Wales, Czechia, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Moldova, San Marino.
Of the 14 teams to win their UNL groups, 10 of those were in Pot 1 or 2 for the World Cup qualifying draw — so on ranking would finish in the top two of their group. If that comes to pass, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Moldova and San Marino would get a playoff place. However, that now appears unlikely with Romania and Sweden struggling to finish in the top two.
This is by some distance the most complicated route to the World Cup, with a layered qualifying process featuring a dual group stage to find the eight automatic qualifiers. But the main part will be done and dusted in June.
Round 1: The 20 lowest-ranked nations played two-legged ties in October 2023. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore and Yemen advanced.
Round 2: Those 10 winners joined the 26 best-ranked nations. The 36 teams were drawn into nine groups of four teams, with the top two nations going through to Round 3. This stage began in November 2023 and was completed in June 2024.
Round 3: We were left with 18 nations, drawn into three groups of six teams. Matches began in September 2024 and the round is completed on Tuesday.
The group winners and runners-up took the first six places at the 2026 World Cup and their campaign is complete.
Japan became the first team to qualify for the World Cup on March 20, followed by Iran, Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Australia.
Round 4: The six teams in this stage were drawn into two groups of three. They will play each other once, so two matches in total per team, in one host country in October.
We will find out the final two automatic qualifiers, plus the teams that will battle it out for a playoff in round five.
Wednesday: Oman 0-0 Qatar Saturday: United Arab Emirates 2-1 Oman Tuesday: Qatar vs. United Arab Emirates
UAE’s late comeback victory over Oman puts them in a strong position, but they do meet hosts Qatar in the final match on Tuesday. Here’s what that fixture can mean.
If UAE win 1-0 or by two or more goals, Oman will be second and in the playoff. If UAE win 2-1, second place will be decided between Oman and Qatar on yellow and red cards. Oman have four yellows to Qatar’s two. If cards are the same, there will be a random draw for the playoff place. If UAE win 3-2 or higher scoring, Qatar will be second and in the playoff.
Usually, Concacaf would have six automatic places in qualifying — but for the 2026 finals three of the six are taken up by the hosts. That leaves three places to be won, plus two spots in the interconfederation playoff path.
Round 1: The four lowest-ranked Concacaf nations battled it out in two-legged ties. Anguilla and British Virgin Islands eliminated Turks and Caicos Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands respectively, both on penalties.
Advanced: Bermuda, Costa Rica, Curaçao, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago
The group winners will qualify for the World Cup, with the two runners-up with the best record going on to take part in the interconfederation playoffs.
Group C: Honduras (8) are in a good position after they beat Haiti (5) on Monday. The nearest challengers are Costa Rica (6), who thrashed Nicaragua (1). Nov. 13 sees Honduras go to Nicaragua, and a win will send them to the World Cup if Haiti vs. Costa Rica is a draw. On the final day on Nov. 18 it’s Costa Rica vs. Honduras, which could yet be a decider for the automatic qualification place.
The first qualifiers took place in September 2023, with the league phase completed in September 2025.
Round 1: The four lowest-ranked nations played a knockout format (two semis and a final) in Samoa in September 2024.
American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga were in this round. Samoa beat Tonga 2-1 in the final to advance.
Round 2: Samoa and the seven top-ranked nations were drawn into two groups of four nations, with matches played in October and November 2024. Games were held in Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
The top two countries in each group — New Caledonia, Tahiti, New Zealand and Fiji — went on to Round 3.
Round 3: The four remaining countries then played a one-legged knockout format (two semis and a final) in New Zealand in March 2025.
As winners of the final, New Zealand qualified for the World Cup, with losers New Caledonia moving onto the interconfederation playoffs.
Six countries will take part. Each of the five confederations (apart from UEFA) will provide one country. The host confederation (so for this edition Concacaf) receives a second slot.