These 48 countries have qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada, U.S., Mexico

Italy's out of FIFA World Cup and here's who Canada will play instead

Here are the countries that will be competing at the FIFA World Cup.

Europe (16)

Sixteen members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) have qualified, and somehow, four-time FIFA World Cup champion Italy isn’t one of them. No. 20-ranked Denmark was also upset in the final round of qualifying and won’t be coming to North America.

Remarkably, Italy will miss the men’s World Cup for a third straight time, after being upset by Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sweden, Türkiye, and Czechia were also among the last four European countries to qualify.

Qualified UEFA countries:

1. England
2. France
3. Croatia
4. Portugal
5. Norway
6. Germany
7. Netherlands
8. Belgium
9. Austria
10. Switzerland
11. Spain
12. Scotland
13. Sweden
14. Türkiye
15. Czechia
16. Bosnia and Herzegovina

North America, Central America, Caribbean (6)

The Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) is sending six countries to the World Cup.

As host nations, Canada, the United States, and Mexico qualify automatically. Three more Concacaf countries have secured their spots, including two surprise teams making it.

Panama, who last made it to the World Cup in 2018, was expected to qualify. Haiti and Curaçao are the surprises.

Things are so dire in Haiti that its national team is currently unable to play matches at home. And with a population of just 158,665, Curaçao is the smallest country ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.

Qualified Concacaf countries:

1. Canada
2. United States
3. Mexico
4. Panama
5. Haiti
6. Curaçao

South America (6)

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) is sending six countries to the FIFA World Cup.

Lionel Messi and the defending champions from Argentina will be there. So will Brazil, Ecuador, and Uruguay, just as they were in 2022.

Colombia is making its first appearance since 2018, while Paraguay returns to the men’s World Cup for the first time since 2010.

Qualified CONMEBOL countries:

1. Argentina
2. Brazil
3. Ecuador
4. Colombia
5. Uruguay
6. Paraguay

Asia (9)

The Asian Football Confederation is sending nine countries to the FIFA World Cup: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iraq.

Uzbekistan and Jordan will compete at the FIFA World Cup for the first time.

Australia, which moved to the Asian Football Confederation from Oceania in 2006, will make its sixth straight World Cup appearance.

Qualified Asian Football Confederation countries:

1. Japan
2. Iran
3. Uzbekistan
4. Jordan
5. South Korea
6. Australia
7. Saudi Arabia
8. Qatar
9. Iraq

Africa (10)

Ten African nations are headed to the World Cup: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Senegal, Côte D’Ivoire, and Congo DR.

Morocco achieved the best-ever result by an African country at the 2022 World Cup, finishing fourth.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Cape Verde, a tiny island nation off the coast of West Africa, with a population under 600,000. Their national team is going to its first FIFA World Cup.

Congo DR was one of the last teams to qualify. It marks the country’s first trip to the FIFA World Cup since 1974, when it was known as Zaire.

Qualified Confederation of African Football countries:

1. Morocco
2. Tunisia
3. Egypt
4. Algeria
5. Ghana
6. Cape Verde
7. South Africa
8. Côte d’Ivoire
9. Senegal
10. Congo DR

Oceania (1)

New Zealand was the second nation (outside of the host countries) to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, doing so from the Oceania Football Confederation.

This is the first time Oceania has been guaranteed an automatic berth in a men’s World Cup. New Zealand was the heavy favourite to advance, given that Australia now competes in the Asian Football Confederation.