Soccer

Who has already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Published Jun 11, 2025 at 10:41 AM ET

Updated Jun 11, 2025 at 10:42 AM ET

While we’re still a year out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, that doesn’t mean teams haven’t already punched their ticket to Canada, the United States and Mexico. With the field undergoing a third major expansion since 1982, next summer’s tournament will mark the largest tournament yet.

A look at who has already booked their place in the 48-team event.

Canada

CONFEDERATION: CONCACAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 30
MANAGER: Jesse Marsch
CAPTAIN: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Two (1986 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: FW Jonathan David (free agent on July 1)

For the first time ever, Canada will play in two consecutive World Cups. This time, however, there wasn't a thrilling qualification process like there was ahead of 2022. The team qualified as one of the three host nations. Manager Jesse Marsch has instilled a new level of confidence in his charges and there's a real belief that this team can get out of the group stage for the first time. While Marsch has a general idea of who will make up most of his squad, the next year will be key for players on the fringes to prove their mettle and earn the opportunity to play in front of their home crowd. Of some concern is the status of wingback Alphonso Davies. The Canada captain and Bayern Munich star is currently rehabbing an ACL tear with early October penciled in as a likely return. There is a chance that Davies won't suit up in a red and white kit until Canada's first World Cup match on June 12, 2026 at Toronto's BMO Field.

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United States

CONFEDERATION: CONCACAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 16
MANAGER: Mauricio Pochettino
CAPTAIN: Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 11 (1930, 1934, 1950, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Third place (1930)
KEY PLAYER: FW Christian Pulisic (Milan)

Hosting the tournament for the second time ever and first since 1994, the 2026 World Cup should be a joyous occasion for the USMNT, but controversy is never far behind when it comes to this squad. This time, it's both on and off the field (to say nothing of the travel ban that is hanging over this entire tournament). On the field, Mauricio Pochettino's arrival as manager has not heralded a good run of form. Since the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain manager took helm of the program last fall, the team has dropped four of nine contests including three in a row in defeats to Panama, Canada and Turkey. The team's listless form led to rumours swirling that Pochettino could return to Spurs imminently, but that was shot down by the Argentine. If the on-field concerns weren't enough, there is the matter of talisman Christian Pulisic. The Milan winger will not be a part of the team's Gold Cup effort later this week, as he simply wants a break after playing in 50 matches across all competitions this past season. That reason wasn't good enough for USMNT legend-turned-pundit Landon Donovan, who excoriated Pulisic and others who will be missing out on the Gold Cup during the broadcast of the UEFA Nations League Final. Pulisic's father responded angrily on social media and Juventus's Weston McKennie spoke up in Pulisic's defence as this dispute has gotten ugly quickly. If USA Soccer was hoping to turn the page from the Gregg Berhalter era - marked by embarrassing public spats - it hasn't happened just yet.

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Mexico

CONFEDERATION: CONCACAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 17
MANAGER: Javier Aguirre
CAPTAIN: Memo Ochoa (AVS)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 17 (1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1978, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Quarter-finals (1970 and 1986)
KEY PLAYER: MF Edson Alvarez (West Ham United)

The World Cup returns to Mexico for a third time and the first time since 1986. Hosting the tournament has heralded good fortune for El Tri with a trip to the quarters in both previous hosting duties, marking the team's best ever finishes at a World Cup. At the helm of Mexico is Javier Aguirre for a third stint. His latest tenure will almost certainly end after the World Cup with legendary El Tri centre-back Rafa Marquez, currently serving as an assistant coach, set to take over. Mexico won the CONCACAF Nations League in March and will look to defend their Gold Cup title later this month and make a record 10 championships, but the focus for El Tri is very clearly on 2026. The 2022 World Cup couldn't have gone much worse, beginning with a lacklustre qualification campaign and followed by Mexico's first group-stage exit in nine tournaments at Qatar. For a proud and football-mad people, that just won't cut it. Coupled with the pressure of playing at home, the 2026 World Cup is as important a tournament in Mexico as it is anywhere in the world.

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Argentina

CONFEDERATION: CONMEBOL
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 1
MANAGER: Lionel Scaloni
CAPTAIN: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 18 (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Winners (1978, 1986 and 2022)
KEY PLAYER: MF Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)

The CONMEBOL qualification cycle is always a brutal battle, so for holders Argentina, already earning a World Cup berth is a big weight off of their shoulders and will offer manager Lionel Scaloni a chance to experiment with his lineups during their remaining qualifiers. Unfortunately for the Albiceleste, repeat World Cup winners are a rarity. It's only happened twice and the last time it occurred was in 1962. But if there's a team with a deep enough talent pool to do it all again next summer, it's Argentina. The big question mark surrounding the team is the status of talisman Lionel Messi. It appears that the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner will be in the picture when it comes to selecting a final squad. On the heels of Argentina's victory in Qatar, Messi was very noncommittal about his international future. After he stuck around following the World Cup triumph, there was some thought that he would follow in the footsteps of veteran winger Angel Di Maria and retire from the national side following last summer's Copa America in which the Albiceleste was also triumphant. With Messi currently participating in qualifiers, it would be a surprise at this point if he weren't on the plane to North America next summer. Set to turn 38 later this month, next year's World Cup might very well be the four-time Champions League winner's international swan song.

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Brazil

CONFEDERATION: CONMEBOL
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 5
MANAGER: Carlo Ancelotti
CAPTAIN: Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: All 22 (1930, 1934, 1938, 1942, 1946, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002)
KEY PLAYER: Vini Jr. (Real Madrid)

Brazil's World Cup drought will hit 24 years next summer. It's longest spell without a title since winning their first in 1958. Tasked with returning the Selecao to the summit is Carlo Ancelotti. The legendary Italian has won everything imaginable at a club level, but has never managed an international team before. Still, Ancelotti has made it a career of coaching talented Italians for decades, including Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Kaka. Even with an array of mouth-watering talent to choose from, expect Ancelotti to rely upon the players he knows. Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, who hadn't been called up since 2023, is back in the picture and played in the match that earned the team its berth in a 1-0 win over Paraguay. Don Carlo has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to attacking talent, so it will be interesting to see who is on the plane next summer. It might not be time yet for 18-year-old Estevao Willian (Chelsea), 18-year-old Endrick (Real Madrid) or Savinho (Manchester City). The other big question is who will be the No. 1. With Alisson likely moving into a second-choice role at Liverpool, will that open the door for Lucas Perri (Lyon), Ederson (Manchester City) or Leo Jardim (Vasco da Gama)?

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Ecuador

CONFEDERATION: CONMEBOL
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 24
MANAGER: Sebastian Beccacece
CAPTAIN: Enner Valencia (Internacional)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Four (2002, 2006, 2014 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (2006)
KEY PLAYER: MF Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)

La Tricolor is emerging as a consistent player in South America, qualifying for the World Cup in consecutive tournaments for just the second time and posting back-to-back quarterfinals appearances at Copa America. In Qatar in 2022, Ecuador was on the precipice of the knockouts with an opening victory over the hosts and a hard-fought draw with perennial contenders, the Netherlands. Needing just a point from its final Group A match, Ecuador was foiled in a 2-1 loss to Senegal, who jumped La Tricolor for second place in the group. A team full of battle-tested young talent including Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen), Pervis Estupinan (Brighton) and 18-year-old Chelsea starlet Kendry Paez, the biggest concern heading into next summer will be goals. All-time leading goal scorer Enner Valencia will likely be in the squad, but the former West Ham man will be 36. After Valencia's 36 goals, Sporting Gijon's Jordy Caicedo has the most among active forwards with three.

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Australia

CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 26
MANAGER: Tony Popovic
CAPTAIN: Mat Ryan (Lens)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 6 (1974, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (2006 and 2022)
KEY PLAYER: DF Aziz Behich (Melbourne City)

Make it six straight World Cups for the Socceroos. Australia qualified for 2026 on the back of a runner-up finish behind Japan in Group C of AFC qualifying, holding off Saudi Arabia for the automatic spot. In Qatar, Australia matched its best-ever result at a World Cup with a trip to the Round of 16. Emerging from Group D as runners-up to eventual finalists France, in a group that also included Denmark and Tunisia, the Socceroos' tournament came to an end with a loss to eventual winners Argentina. Australia managed just four goals in their four matches in 2022 and will need to rely on unproven scorers next summer if they expect to get out of the group stage. Long gone are the likes of Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka. Currently there isn't an active player in the Socceroos' top-10 all-time goal scorers. The team's current active leader is Melbourne City forward Mathew Leckie, who - at 34 - isn't guaranteed to be on the plane next summer. The likes of young forward options in Celtic's Marco Tilio, Nestor Irankunda of Bayern Munich and uncapped Nicolas Milanovic, who notched 12 goals for Western Sydney Wanderers this past season before a May move to Aberdeen, all have the opportunity to become indispensable.

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Iran

CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 18
MANAGER: Amir Ghalenoei
CAPTAIN: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Heerenveen)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Six (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: ST Mehdi Taremi (Inter)

Iran's best-ever form continues with a fourth consecutive trip to the World Cup. Inter hitman Mehdi Taremi was the star man during qualifying that saw Iran win its first six matches of qualifying, with the former Porto striker notching nine goals. If there's cause for concern heading into next summer, it's that Team Melli hasn't won in their past two qualifying matches, but that's more a case of manager Amir Ghalenoei rolling the dice with his lineups and their foot coming off of the gas pedal with the job being done already. Iran will be looking to get out of the group stage for the first time ever at World Cup 2026 and to do that, they're going to need to score goals. In their past three World Cup appearances, Team Melli has six goals in nine matches. That just won't be enough to advance to the knockouts next June.

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Japan

CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 15
MANAGER: Hajime Moriyasu
CAPTAIN: Wataru Endo (Liverpool)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Seven (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018 and 2022)
KEY PLAYER: MF Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)

The Samurai Blue are on their way to an eighth consecutive World Cup appearance and believe this time they can break through the ceiling of a Round of 16 appearance. While there are still a handful of players part of the national setup who compete in the J League, a vast majority of Hajime Moriyasu's team plies their trade in Europe with the likes of captain Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Koki Machida (Union SG), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Reo Hetate and Daizen Maeda (both Celtic) all winning league titles this past season. Moriyasu favours a 4-2-3-1 with a lone striker up top (perhaps Kyogo Furuhashi of Rennes), but he's shown himself to be more than adaptable when the situation calls for it, whether that means taking a more defensive shape or rolling more men forward in an all-out attack. With the likes of Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace) and Ayese Ueda (Feyenoord) at his disposal, creating offence shouldn't be a problem.

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Jordan

CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 62
MANAGER: Jamal Sellami
CAPTAIN: Ihsan Haddad (Al-Hussein)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: None
BEST FINISH: N/A
KEY PLAYER: FW Musa Al-Taamari (Rennes)

For the first time ever, Jordan is headed to the World Cup. Managed by former Besiktas midfielder Jamal Sellami, the Chivalrous Ones dropped only one match during the third round of AFC qualifying and finished as runners-up to heavy favourites South Korea. Jordan's most impressive result might have been a 4-0 shellacking of Oman last fall. Sellami's team is made up almost entirely of players from the Jordanian Pro League. Only HB Koge forward Mohamad Al-Naser and winger Musa Al-Taamari of Rennes are Europe-based right now. Perhaps a long shot, but there could be a Canadian flavour to this Jordan team come next summer. Jordan Under-23 goalkeeper Tony Awad was called into the senior team's January camp. Awad is a native of Oakville, Ont. and attends Concordia. At only 22, Awad is the youngest 'keeper on Sellami's radar, but could yet feature ahead of the World Cup.

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South Korea

CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 23
MANAGER: Hong Myung-bo
CAPTAIN: Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 11 (1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Fourth place (2002)
KEY PLAYER: FW Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain)

Hong Myung-bo's Taegeuk Warriors have lost just once in their past 25 games. The lone defeat came at the hands of Jordan in the semi-finals of the 2024 Asian Cup. With an undefeated World Cup qualifying campaign, South Korea is headed to an 11th straight World Cup. Next summer's tournament could be the last hurrah with the national team for a number of stalwarts, namely captain Son Heung-min. The man Spurs fans affectionately call "Sonny" will be 33 next summer. The likes of Ulsan HD defender Kim Young-gwon (35), who has 112 caps to his name, Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae (29), Mainz midfielder Lee Jae-sung (32) and midfielder Hwang Hee-chan (29) of Wolves are all heading into what could possibly be their last World Cups. While South Korea has gotten out of the group stage in two of the past four tournaments, the team has only won a combined four matches in the past five World Cups since a fourth-place finish at home in 2002.

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Uzbekistan

CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 57
MANAGER: Timur Kapadze
CAPTAIN: Eldor Shomurodov (Roma)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: None
BEST FINISH: N/A
KEY PLAYER: DF Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City)

Joining Jordan as part of the first-time contingent out of Asia is Uzbekistan. The White Wolves qualified for the 2026 World Cup as the surprise runners-up in AFC Group A behind Iran, finishing ahead of the more experienced United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Timur Kapadze's side has only lost three times in its past 24 matches and Uzbekistan has shown its mettle in draws with Australia, Iran and Mexico. While a majority of the White Wolves' squad plays in the Uzbekistan Football Association, there are players in much bigger leagues including Roma forward Eldor Shomurodov, Sivasspor midfielder Azizbek Turgunboev and Caykur Rizespor defender Husniddin Aliqulov. Uzbekistan's most impressive young talent, though, is 21-year-old centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov. After two seasons at Lens, the young defender joined Manchester City in the January transfer window in a €40 million move. Khusanov got past a rough start in England and was able to show why he was so highly sought after by season's end.

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New Zealand

CONFEDERATION: OFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 86
MANAGER: Darren Bazeley
CAPTAIN: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Two (1982 and 2010)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: MF Marko Stamenic (Olympiacos)

One of the greatest beneficiaries of the expanded World Cup was the Oceania Football Confederation. For the first time, the OFC was awarded a direct place in the World Cup, rather than simply passage into a playoff. In one of the smallest confederations in all of a FIFA, a minnow is king. New Zealand thrashed its way into their third World Cup by outscoring their opponents by a margin of 29-1. The concern, of course, for Darren Bazeley is what happens when the All-Whites take on higher-quality opponents. Well, they've shown they can hang with those, as well, earning a draw against the United States last fall and picking up an impressive 1-0 win over Cote d'Ivoire in Toronto as part of the Canadian Shield tournament. The key to New Zealand's offensive fortunes largely come down to the play of Chris Wood. The Nottingham Forest star reached 20 Premier League goals for the first time in his career this past season, helping lead his club to a surprise seventh-place finish and a return to European football next season.

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