48 national teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup. This number is unprecedented in the history of the World Cup soccer. The maximum number of participating countries so far has been 32, as is the case at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The countries participating in the final round in the summer of 2026 will be determined by their performance in the qualification stage. You can read more about it at: World Cup football Qualification. At the moment, all 211 FIFA member countries are still in the running for the world title.