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FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Everything You Need to Know

September 11, 2023Updated:September 13, 20236 Mins Read
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FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers
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FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: FIFA 2026 may have three more years to go, but for the qualifiers, the carpet is about to roll. We will try to answer all of your questions regarding the FIFA 2026 Qualifiers.

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • How many teams qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026? 
  • Who Has Qualified For The FIFA World Cup? 
  • FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Under Different Federations 
    • Asian Football Federation (AFC) 
    • Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) 
    • The Confederation of African Football (CAF)
    • Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) 
    • Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
    • South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL)
  • Can India qualify for 2026 World Cup? 

How many teams qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026? 

A total of 46 teams from 6 different confederations (AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA) will test their tusks in FIFA 2026. 

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers
Photo: Twitter

Who Has Qualified For The FIFA World Cup? 

Till now, only three teams—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—who are the combined hosts of the competition have qualified for the epic carnival. 

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Under Different Federations 

Asian Football Federation (AFC) 

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: FIFA allocated eight direct spots and a single intercontinental play-off slot to the AFC. The qualifiers will take place in five different rounds. The draw for the first round was already held on July 27, 2023. The detailed structure of the qualification is as follows: 

Demo

The first round will witness 27 teams that are ranked 27–46. Each team will play one home and one away match against every opponent. The top 10 will advance to the second round.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification first round
Team 1Agg.Team 21st leg2nd leg
Afghanistan Pairing 1 Mongolia12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23
Maldives Pairing 2 Bangladesh12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23
Singapore Pairing 3 Guam12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23
Yemen Pairing 4 Sri Lanka12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23
Myanmar Pairing 5 Macau12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23
Cambodia Pairing 6 Pakistan12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23
Chinese Taipei Pairing 7 Timor-Leste12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23
Indonesia Pairing 8 Brunei12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23
Hong Kong Pairing 9 Bhutan12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23
Nepal   Pairing 10 Laos12 Oct ’2317 Oct ’23

The second round will have 36 teams (the top 26 ranked teams and the top 10 teams of the first round) check their luck. They will be divided into 9 different groups and play home and away games. From these, 18 teams (group winners and runner-ups) will see the next round. 

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers
Photo: Twitter

In the third round, the eighteen teams that advanced from the second will fight each other in three different groups. After playing home and away matches between them, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The third and fourth-placed teams from each group will eventually move into the fourth round. 

In the fourth round, the six teams that advanced from the third round will lock horns. The winners will qualify for the World Cup. 

The fifth round will have the fourth-round runners-up battling each other to eventually march into the inter-confederation play-offs. 

RELATED ARTICLE:

  • FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers match schedule
  • FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers team list
  • FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers India schedule
  • FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers match schedule and venue
  • Football World Cup qualifiers match schedule

Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) 

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Under UEFA, there will be 12 groups drawn, in which four or five teams will compete in each group. The winners will directly qualify for the World Cup. The runners-up will have the option to participate in play-off matches to determine their World Cup birth. 

The playoff stage will comprise the sixteen teams that come from the first round and the four best group winners from the Nations League. Four play-off paths will differentiate them, and the top four teams will walk into the World Cup Finals. 

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers
Photo: Twitter

The Confederation of African Football (CAF)

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Fifty-four FIFA-affiliated football associations from CAF will battle out their fate. 

The First Round will have nine groups, each containing six teams that will play home and away matches, and the winner of every group will get a ticket to the World Cup. 

In the second round, four of the best runner-ups from the first round will hit their heads in a playoff, which will result in the winners marching into the inter-confederation play-offs. 

Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) 

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Among the CONCACAF teams, Canada, Mexico, and the United States are already qualified for the World Cup as the host countries. 

The first round will have four teams (29–32 in FIFA rankings). They will be divided into two matchups, and the two winners will advance directly to the World Cup. 

The second round will have 30 teams (1–28 ranked CONCACAF teams as well as the two teams from the first round), and they will be grouped into 6 groups of 5 teams each. They will play it out, and the winners and runner-ups will move into the third round. 

The third round will have 12 teams, which are divided into 3 groups. Their home and away match-ups will decide 3 of them qualify for the World Cup. The runners-up will qualify for the inter-confederation play-offs. 

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers
Photo: Twitter

Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: For the first time in history, the OFC will be given a guaranteed World Cup spot as well as a potential second spot through inter-confederation play-offs in 2026. 

In the first of three qualification rounds, which will take place in September 2024, the four teams with the lowest rankings will play a three-match knockout round. The top two teams from each group will play a three-match knockout round in March 2025, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup and the runner-up moving on to the inter-confederation play-offs. In October and November 2024, the winning team will join the seven highest-ranked teams in two four-team groups for the second round. 

South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL)

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: All CONMEBOL teams will play home and away matches against each other. The winners will hit the 2026 FIFA World Cup grounds. 

Can India qualify for 2026 World Cup? 

FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: India is currently in the second round of the AFC Qualifiers. They are in Group A with Qatar and Kuwait. Either Mongolia or Afghanistan will join them as the fourth team. The second round will take place between November 16, 2023, and June 11, 2024.

RELATED ARTICLES:

  • How many teams qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026?
  • Qualifer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
  • No. of team who qualifed Fifa World Cup 2026
  • Is Indian football team qualified for FIFA 2026?
  • Can India qualify for 2026 World Cup?
  • Who Has Qualified For The FIFA World Cup? 
  • FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers match schedule

Get Latest Football Updates & FIFA World Cup Updates along with All You Need to Know about Football at IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates – Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.

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Asian Football Federation (AFC) Can India qualify for 2026 World Cup? Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) CONCACAF Confederation of North FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Under Different Federations How many teams qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026? Indian football team Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Who Has Qualified For The FIFA World Cup?
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