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 15, 2025, 09:13 AM ETCloseFollow on X
QUALIFIED (25/45): Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Qatar, England, Saudi Arabia, Ivory Coast, Senegal
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 did see England become the first European country to book their place.
Africa: The final two rounds of the group stage were played, when we discovered the seven nations that joined Morocco and Tunisia, plus the interconfederation playoff contenders.
Asia: The fourth round was played, when we will found out the final two automatic qualifiers, along with the two interconfederation playoff contenders.
Round 1: The teams were in eight groups of six nations, and one group of five (with Eritrea removed).
QUALIFIED (9/9): Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Senegal
Group A: EGYPT (23) qualified with a 3-0 win over rock-bottom Djibouti (1), on the back of two goals from Mohamed Salah. Burkina Faso (21) put themselves in with a strong chance of one of the playoff spots with a 3-1 win over Ethiopia but were edged out on goal difference.
Group B: SENEGAL (24) beat Mauritania (7) 4-0 to qualify. Second-placed DR Congo (22) beat Sudan (13) 1-0 and take a playoff place.
Group E: MOROCCO (21) qualified. Niger (15) confirmed second place by winning in Zambia on Sunday, but missed out on a playoff on goal difference.
Group F: IVORY COAST (26) beat Kenya (12) 3-0 to confirm their place at the World Cup. Gabon (25) have to settle for a playoff route.
Group G: ALGERIA (25) qualified with a 3-0 win over Somalia (1). Uganda (18) took second place despite a late 2-1 defeat in Algeria on Tuesday, but it’s not good enough for a playoff.
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.
NB: To determine the best second-place teams, the results of the team to finish sixth in the six-team groups were removed.
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, but the order will not change so we know the fixtures now. The highest rank will play the lowest rank, and second faces 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 all the qualifiers.
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 while Scotland go to Greece. As long as Scotland avoid defeat, the group is set up for a decider between the top two 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.
Group F: Portugal (10) are close to qualification but a late Hungary (5) equaliser in Lisbon meant they must wait until November to seal it. A win in Republic of Ireland (4) on Nov. 13 seals it for Portugal, but the Irish need results in the race for second place. On the same day it’s Armenia (3) vs. Hungary, with the away team able to seal second place with a win if Ireland lose to Portugal. On the final day on Nov. 16, it’s Hungary vs. Ireland and Portugal vs. Armenia.
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.
Group K: ENGLAND (18) have dominated the group, qualifying with a 100% record without conceding a goal. It was sealed with a 5-0 win in Latvia. Albania (11) hold the playoff place over Serbia (10), and both play England in November. As Albania’s other game is vs. Andorra (1) they are favourites to finish second.
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 is now done and dusted.
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 played each other once, so two matches in total per team, in one host country in October.
We found 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 2-1 United Arab Emirates
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 A: Panama (6) and Suriname (6) drew 1-1, with a 1-0 win for Guatemala (5) in El Salvador (3) leaving the group wide open — and it’s guaranteed to go to the last day. On November, 13 it’s Suriname vs. El Salvador and Guatemala vs. Panama. The group finishes up on Nov. 18 with Guatemala vs. Suriname and Panama vs. El Salvador.
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.