2026 World Cup: Who has qualified and who can make it?

We are just over one year away from the 2026 World Cup and the battle for qualification is in full gear.  And while the definitive list of the 48 teams that will participate in the largest edition of the tournament hasn't been set, we do know the teams that are currently in and which ones are closer to booking their spot. Let's dive in. 

What we know:

Who is in (alphabetical order, history of World Cup appearances):

What's at stake this week:

Asia (AFC) — Five countries have booked their spots, including a trio of regional powerhouses in Iran, Japan, and South Korea. But there are two surprise sides in Jordan and Uzbekistan who will be making their first ever World Cup trips next year. Australia is on the verge of booking its spot if they don't lose big to Saudi Arabia in Tuesday's clash. 

South America (CONMEBOL) — Who from the region can join Argentina? Ecuador is on the cusp of clinching a spot if it beats Peru on Tuesday, while top teams like Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay still have work to do. 

Europe (UEFA) — No teams will be able to clinch a spot during this window. Four notable squads – Spain, France, Germany, and Portugal — still haven't begun qualifying due to playing in the UEFA Nations League finals last week. Other heavyweights like England, Italy and the Netherlands have begun their World Cup qualifying campaigns.

North America/Central America/Caribbean (CONCACAF) — Aside from the three co-hosts, no one from this region has booked their spot yet. The second of three rounds of qualifying wraps up on Tuesday, but look for teams like Costa Rica, Honduras, and Jamaica to remain in the mix. 

Africa (CAF) — Another region that won't see any qualified participants just yet, with these teams not playing