The 2026 World Cup draw is almost here and all but six spots in soccer's biggest global event are secure at this point.

Curaçao, Haiti and Panama from CONCACAF, as well as 12 European nations from UEFA, were the most recent countries to qualify for group play when the World Cup is hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada this summer. Most of the 42 teams will learn their opponents and groups on Dec. 5, during the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

But the expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams also led to additional pathways to reach the tournament. Matches have been announced for FIFA's intercontinental playoff in which two World Cup berths are on the line, as well as for a European playoff in which 16 teams will compete for four spots in the World Cup.

Here's what to know about where qualifying stands for the 2026 World Cup, including which nations could secure berths next:

Who has qualified for World Cup 2026?

Through 5 p.m. ET, Monday Dec. 1

The 2026 World Cup will include 48 teams, a huge jump up from the 32 that participated in Qatar 2022. Now that November's qualifiers are complete, 42 nations have qualified.

Here is a complete list of every country to qualify for the 2026 World Cup:

  • Host nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
  • Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
  • Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
  • Concacaf: Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
  • Europe: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
  • Oceania: New Zealand
  • South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

World Cup qualifying: Who could clinch a 2026 spot next?

The World Cup draw is almost here, but there will still be six unknown teams and their corresponding matches after groups are announced on Dec. 5. There are two avenues left to qualify for the 2026 World Cup ‒ a new intercontinental playoff set up by FIFA to determine two spots and a European playoff with 16 UEFA teams chasing four remaining World Cup berths. Both tournaments are set to take place in March 2026.

  • Albania: Must beat Poland and then the winner of Ukraine vs. Sweden to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Bolivia: Must beat Suriname in one of two pathway semifinals, and then Iraq in the finals, as part of the intercontinental tournament in March.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina: Must beat Wales and then the winner of Italy vs. Northern Ireland to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Czechia: Must beat Ireland and then the winner of Denmark vs. North Macedonia to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Denmark: Must beat North Macedonia and then the winner of Czechia vs. Ireland to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • DR Congo: Must beat the winner of Jamaica vs. New Caledonia in one of two pathway finals taking place in March as part of the intercontinental tournament.
  • Iraq: Must beat the winner of Bolivia vs. Suriname in one of two pathway finals taking place in March as part of the intercontinental tournament.
  • Ireland: Must beat Czechia and then the winner of Denmark vs. North Macedonia to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Italy: Must beat Northern Ireland and then the winner of Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Jamaica: Must beat New Caledonia in one of two pathway semifinals, and then DR Congo in the finals, as part of the intercontinental tournament in March.
  • Kosovo: Must beat Slovakia and then the winner of Turkey vs. Romania to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • New Caledonia: Must beat Jamaica in one of two pathway semifinals, and then DR Congo in the finals, as part of the intercontinental tournament in March.
  • North Macedonia: Must beat Denmark and then the winner of Czechia vs. Ireland to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Northern Ireland: Must beat Italy and then the winner of Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Poland: Must beat Albania and then the winner of Ukraine vs. Sweden to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Romania: Must beat Turkey and then the winner of Slovakia vs. Kosovo to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Slovakia: Must beat Kosovo and then the winner of Turkey vs. Romania to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Suriname: Must beat Jamaica in one of two pathway semifinals, and then DR Congo in the finals, as part of the intercontinental tournament in March.
  • Sweden: Must beat Ukraine and then the winner of Poland vs. Albania to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Turkey: Must beat Romania and then the winner of Slovakia vs. Kosovo to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Ukraine: Must beat Sweden and then the winner of Poland vs. Albania to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.
  • Wales: Must beat Bosnia and Herzegovina and then the winner of Italy vs. Northern Ireland to earn one of four remaining UEFA World Cup spots as part of FIFA's European playoff tournament in March.

World Cup qualifiers: How many spots for each region?

Here is a complete breakdown of how FIFA divided all 48 berths at the 2026 World Cup:

  • Host nations (3): Canada, Mexico and the United States all qualified as soon as they were picked to host the tournament.
  • Asia (8): Eight Asian countries have qualified. The Asian Football Confederation will place one team in the intercontinental playoff, with Iraq and the United Arab Emirates facing off for that last-chance ticket in a two-legged tie on Nov. 13 and Nov. 18.
  • Africa (9): African qualifying sorted 54 countries into nine groups of six (though Eritrea withdrew from Group E before play began). The nine group winners have qualified, while DR Congo emerged from a four-team playoff and earned a spot in the intercontinental playoff in March.
  • Concacaf (3): Haiti, Curaçao and Panama were each winners of four-team groups in the region's third round of qualifying and earned spots in the 2026 World Cup field. The two best group runners-up from qualifying -- Jamaica and Suriname -- are entered in the intercontinental playoff in March with four other teams competing for two spots in the 2026 World Cup.
  • Europe (16): UEFA qualifying features 54 teams broken up into 12 groups. Group winners qualify for the World Cup, while the second-place finishers (along with the top four teams from the UEFA Nations League who didn't win their qualifying groups) will enter a playoff for Europe's final four berths that is set for March 2026. There are still 16 teams competing for four spots up via the European play-offs.
  • Oceania (1): New Zealand has already claimed Oceania's only guaranteed berth at the 2026 World Cup, while New Caledonia is headed to the intercontinental playoff.
  • South America (6): CONMEBOL's marathon qualifying tournament has concluded, with six teams getting places at the World Cup. A seventh (Bolivia) claimed the region's spot in the intercontinental playoff.
  • Intercontinental playoff (2): DR Congo, Iraq, Bolivia, New Caledonia, Jamaica and Suriname have locked in spots in what will be a six-team tournament scheduled for March 2026.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Which teams are qualified for 2026 World Cup? Full list, latest updates

Reporting by Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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