2026 FIFA World Cup: All you need to know – qualifying, draw, format, teams

Which teams have qualified and who can still make it, the draw for the group stage, where and when will all the games be played - all is covered on this page.

In the summer of 2026, USA, Canada and Mexico will host the 23rd FIFA World Cup and excitement has never been higher for the biggest tournament in world football.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is historic as for the first time ever, a new format will be introduced with 48 countries set to compete for world glory, the most of any previous World Cup. Argentina and Lionel Messi are the defending champions, having beaten France on penalties in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

With that in mind, we’ve answered all the key questions that football fans from across the world may have regarding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on Thursday June 11th and concludes with the final on Sunday July 19th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place across 16 cities in three separate countries. The USA will host the majority of the tournament, with Canada and Mexico also hosting games.

Which cities will be hosting 2026 FIFA World Cup matches?

USA

Atlanta

Boston

Dallas

Houston

Kansas City

Los Angeles

Miami

New York/New Jersey

Philadelphia

San Francisco/Santa Clara

Seattle

Canada

Toronto

Vancouver

Mexico

Guadalajara

Mexico City

Monterrey

Where can I get tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

FIFA are responsible for general ticket sales and have set up a dedicated page, including a resell section, all of which you can access here.

Which countries have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

As it stands, 42 countries have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with six spots still up for grabs. Those countries are listed below in order of their respective continents. As tournament hosts, USA, Canada and Mexico were automatic qualifiers.

Europe (UEFA)

Austria

Belgium

Croatia

England

France

Germany

Netherlands

Norway

Portugal

Scotland

Spain

Switzerland

North America (CONCACAF)

Canada

Curacao*

Haiti

Mexico

Panama

USA

*Although Curacao is based in South America, they competed in the CONCACAF section of FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

South America (CONMEBOL)

Argentina

Brazil

Colombia

Ecuador

Paraguay

Uruguay

Oceania (OFC)

New Zealand

Asia (AFC)

Australia*

Iran

Japan

Jordan

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

Uzbekistan

*Although Australia is based in Oceania, they competed in the AFC section of FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Africa (CAF)

Algeria

Cape Verde

Egypt

Ghana

Ivory Coast

Morocco

Senegal

South Africa

Tunisia

Which countries can still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The following nations are yet to be eliminated from the qualification stages and can still book their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup via the play-offs.

Europe (UEFA)

Albania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Czechia

Denmark

Italy

Kosovo

Northern Ireland

North Macedonia

Poland

Republic of Ireland

Romania

Slovakia

Sweden

Turkey

Ukraine

Wales

North America (CONCACAF)

Jamaica

Suriname

South America (CONMEBOL)

Bolivia

Oceania (OFC)

New Caledonia

Asia (AFC)

Iraq

Africa (CAF)

DR Congo

How do the play-offs work?

There will be two sets of play-offs to decide the remaining six teams who will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Inter-confederation play-offs, which will be contested by all non-European nations and the UEFA play-offs, which features all European nations. Two nations will qualify through the Inter-confederation play-offs, whilst the remaining four will qualify via the UEFA play-offs.

Has the draw been made for the play-offs and when will the games take place?

Yes. The draws for both the inter-confederation play-offs and the UEFA play-offs were conducted on Thursday November 20th 2025 and can be seen below. All matches are scheduled to take place in March 2026.

Inter-confederation play-off semi-finals

New Caledonia vs Jamaica

Bolivia vs Suriname

Inter-confederation play-off finals

DR Congo vs New Caledonia/Jamaica

Iraq vs Bolivia/Suriname

UEFA play-off semi-finals

Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

Italy vs Northern Ireland

Ukraine vs Sweden

Poland vs Albania

Slovakia vs Kosovo

Turkey vs Romania

Czechia vs Republic of Ireland

Denmark vs North Macedonia

UEFA play-off finals

Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy/Northern Ireland

Ukraine/Sweden vs Poland/Albania

Slovakia/Kosovo vs Turkey/Romania

Czechia/Republic of Ireland vs Denmark/North Macedonia

The six winners of those respective finals will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and complete the 48-team line-up.

When is the main draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The main draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place on Friday December 5th 2025 at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC.

What is the format for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Main Draw

Teams will be separated into four pots of 12 teams with one team from each pot forming 12 groups of four. Teams from the same pot cannot be drawn together.

Which countries are in each pot?

The four pots and the countries in each pot are listed below

Pot One:

USA

Canada

Mexico

Argentina

Belgium

Brazil

England

France

Germany

Netherlands

Portugal

Pot Two:

Australia

Austria

Colombia

Croatia

Ecuador

Iran

Japan

Morocco

Senegal

South Korea

Switzerland

Uruguay

Pot Three:

Algeria

Egypt

Ivory Coast

Norway

Paraguay

Panama

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Scotland

South Africa

Tunisia

Uzbekistan

Pot Four:

Cape Verde

Curacao

Ghana

Haiti

Jordan

New Zealand

Inter-confederation play-off winner

UEFA play-off winner

How can I watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw can be watched worldwide through streaming service FIFA+. Fans from the USA can also watch via Peacock and/or Telemundo, whilst fans from the UK can watch via the BBC.