Which countries will participate in the 2026 World Cup? Which countries qualify for the World Cup in North America, in the three host countries the United States, Canada, and Mexico? That number will be 48. The names of these football nations will all be known by the end of 2025. There will be (a minimum of) 1 from Oceania (under the flag of the continental football association OFC), (also at least) 6 from South America (CONMEBOL), (at least) 6 from North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), (at least) 8 from Asia (AFC), (at least) 9 from Africa (CAF), and (exactly) 16 from Europe (UEFA).

A ‘minimum’ will apply to all World Cup qualification zones except UEFA, due to the fact that two more countries from these zones can still be placed by playing a mini-tournament at the end of the first continental qualifiers. To find out how that works, click here.

All 2026 World Cup competitors info

Detailed information about each country, such as the selection and the names of the players, will follow once the country has qualified for the 2026 World Cup.