Ready for the world's biggest sporting event? The countdown is on for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spread across the countries (Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.), 48 teams will take part in the largest edition of the tournament ever next summer. Which teams are in?
JUMP TO: Co-Hosts | Qualified Teams | Playoffs | Schedule | Region-by-Region Recap
When is the World Cup?
The World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The FOX family of networks and the FOX Sports app are your complete home for World Cup content, including live matches, complete highlights, commentary and analysis, and full-match replays.
Are the USA, Canada, and Mexico Already in Groups?
The three co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup are already placed in respective groups, even if we still don't know their opponents. This was done to ensure that the teams would play their group stage matches in their respective countries.
For the USA, the three group-stage games will be on June 12 (in Los Angeles), June 19 (in Seattle), and June 25 (in Los Angeles).
For Canada, the three-group stage games will be on June 12 (in Toronto), June 18 (Vancouver), and June 24 (Vancouver). For Mexico, the three-group stage games will be on June 11 (in Mexico City), June 18 (Guadalajara), and June 24 (Mexico City).
Group A: Canada, TBD, TBD, TBD
Group B: Mexico, TBD, TBD, TBD
Group D: United States, TBD, TBD, TBD
Group C, along with Groups E through L, have yet to be assigned.
What is the Schedule for the World Cup?
| Stage | Dates |
| Group Stage | June 11–27 |
| Round of 32 | June 28–July 3 |
| Round of 16 | July 4–7 |
| Quarterfinals | July 9–11 |
| Semifinals | July 14–15 |
| Third-Place Play-Off | July 18 |
| Final | July 19 |
Who is in (total World Cup appearances, including 2026):
These teams are in! Who else will join?
Listed by geographical region:
Asia (AFC; 8 teams)
- Australia (7 appearances)
- Iran (7 appearances)
- Japan (8 appearances)
- Jordan (will make debut in 2026)
- Qatar (2 appearances)
- South Korea (12 appearances)
- Uzbekistan (will make debut in 2026)
Africa (CAF; 9 teams)
- Algeria (5 appearances)
- Cape Verde (will make debut in 2026)
- Egypt (4 appearances)
- Ghana (5 appearances)
- Ivory Coast (4 appearances)
- Morocco (7 appearances)
- Senegal (4 appearances)
- South Africa (4 appearances)
- Tunisia (7 appearances)
Europe (UEFA; 12 teams)
- Austria (6 appearances)
- Belgium (15 appearances)
- Croatia (6 appearances)
- England (16 appearances)
- France (17 appearances)
- Germany (21 appearances)
- Netherlands (12 appearances)
- Norway (4 appearances)
- Scotland (9 appearances)
- Spain (17 appearances)
- Switzerland (13 appearances)
- Portugal (9 appearances)
North America, Central America, Caribbean (CONCACAF; 6 teams)
- Canada (co-hosts; 3 appearances)
- Mexico (co-hosts; 18 appearances)
- United States (co-hosts; 12 appearances)
- Haiti (2 appearances)
- Curaçao (will make debut in 2026)
- Panama (2 appearances)
South America (CONMEBOL; 6 teams)
- Argentina (19 appearances)
- Brazil (23 appearances)
- Colombia (6 appearances)
- Ecuador (5 appearances)
- Paraguay (8 appearances)
- Uruguay (14 appearances)
Oceania (OFA; 1 team)
- New Zealand (3 appearances)
The Intercontinental Playoff, Explained:
Six teams who didn't directly qualify will participate in a mini-tournament of their own to reach the big stage. This event will take place in March 2026, and will take place in the Mexican cities of Monterrey and Guadalajara. All regions will be represented at this tournament, except Europe (UEFA).
These six teams will be placed in two separate three-team brackets, with the highest ranked teams getting a bye. The two teams to emerge from these brackets will go to the World Cup.
Semifinals — March 26, 2026
New Caledonia vs. Jamaica (in Guadalajara, Mexico)
Bolivia vs. Suriname (in Monterrey, Mexico)
Finals — March 31, 2026
New Caledonia/Jamaica vs. DR Congo (in Guadalajara, Mexico; winner advances to World Cup)
Bolivia/Suriname vs. Iraq (in Monterrey, Mexico; winner advances to the World Cup)
The UEFA Playoff, Explained:
As for Europe (UEFA), it will have its own playoff tournament to finalize the last four teams from the region who will go to the World Cup.
Remember, 12 European teams will head directly to the World Cup, having won their respective four-team qualifying groups. The runner-ups of those 12 groups will be joined by four other lower-ranked European teams based on their Nations Leagues standings. These 16 teams will then be bracketed into a mini-tournament of their own to decide those remaining four World Cup spots. All eight semifinals will be played on March 26, 2026, and the four finals on March 31.
Path A
Semifinals – March 26, 2026
Northern Ireland at Italy
Bosnia and Herzegovina at Wales
Final – March 31, 2026
Northern Ireland/Italy at Bosnia and Herzegovia/Wales (winner advances to the World Cup)
Path B
Semifinals – March 26, 2026
Sweden at Ukraine
Albania at Poland
Final – March 31, 2026
Albania/Poland at Sweden/Ukraine (winner advances to the World Cup)
Path C
Semifinals – March 26, 2026
Romania at Turkey
Kosovo at Slovakia
Final – March 31, 2026
Romania/Turkey at Kosovo/Slovakia (winner advances to the World Cup)
Path D
Semifinals – March 26, 2026
North Macedonia at Denmark
Republic of Ireland at Czechia
Final – March 31, 2026
North Macedonia/Denmark at Ireland/Czechia (winner advances to the World Cup)
AFC (Asia)
How many World Cup teams can qualify?
8 automatically, 1 enters the intercontinental playoff round
Who is in?
Australia, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Qatar
Who remains in contention?
Iraq (intercontinental playoff spot participant)
How did it finish?
The qualifying tournament in Asia started back in October 2023 with 46 teams participating. After three rounds of qualifying, six teams have booked World Cup spots, with two more direct spots up (and one playoff berth) up for grabs. Round 4 consisted of six teams (the third- and fourth-placed teams from Round 3), and split into two groups. Those group winners advanced to the World Cup. The Round 4 runners-up (Iraq and the United Arab Emirates) played each other in Round 5 in November to book the region's intercontinental qualifying spot. Iraq sealed the deal 3-2 over the two-legged series. Final full standings can be found here.
_____
CAF (Africa)
How many World Cup teams can qualify?
9 automatically, 1 enters the intercontinental playoff round
Who is in?
Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
Who remains in contention?
DR Congo (intercontinental playoff participant)
How did it finish?
In all, 54 teams (which was later reduced to 52) were split into nine groups of six teams each. The nine group winners (listed above) advanced directly to the World Cup. The four best second-placed teams played a mini-tournament to decide the intercontinental playoff participant, with the DR Congo emerging and having a shot in March to reach the World Cup. Full final standings can be found here.
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CONCACAF (North & Central America and the Caribbean)
How many World Cup teams can qualify?
6 automatically (3 co-hosts, 3 through qualifying), 2 enter the intercontinental playoff round
Who is in?
Canada, Mexico, United States, Haiti, Curaçao, Panama
Who remains in contention?
Jamaica, Suriname (intercontinental playoff participant)
How did it finish?
The three co-hosts are in, which left three automatic spots for the region. There are also two spots for the intercontinental playoff to be determined. Initially, 32 teams began the process, with 30 teams – six groups of five teams – advancing into the second round of qualification, which concluded in June. The top two teams from each group advanced to Round 3.
It took the final day of games to settle everything. In the end three teams – Haiti, Curaçao and Panama – booked spots. That left
Full standings can be found here.
_____
CONMEBOL (South America)
How many World Cup teams can qualify?
6 automatically, 1 enters the intercontinental playoff round
Who is in?
Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay
Who remains in contention?
Bolivia (intercontinental playoff participant)
How did it finish?
Six teams from the 10-team region have clinched, with Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador moving onto the World Cup. Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia also booked their spots. Bolivia will be heading to the intercontinental playoff. Venezuela, Chile and Peru are officially eliminated. Full final standings can be found here.
_____
OFC (Oceania)
How many World Cup teams have qualified?
1 automatically, 1 enters the intercontinental playoff round
Who is in?
New Zealand
Who else is in contention?
New Caledonia (intercontinental playoff participant)
How did it finish?
The 11-team qualifying tournament from this region, consisting of countries and territories in the South Pacific, concluded in March. One team emerged from Round 1, joining the seven top-ranked teams of the region. Those eight teams were split into two groups for Round 2, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. New Zealand will head to the World Cup after beating New Caledonia, who'll be one of the six teams in the intercontinental playoff in March 2026. Full final standings can be found here.
_____
UEFA (Europe)
How many World Cup teams can qualify?
16 (12 automatically, 4 through a UEFA-only playoff)
Who is in?
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Scotland, Switzerland, Portugal
Who else is in contention?
UEFA playoff participants: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine, Wales
How did it finish?
There were 54 (excluding Russia) teams who began the qualifying process in March. In all, there are 12 groups of either four or five teams each. The winner of each group clinched World Cup spots.
The 12 runners-up move to a subsequent playoff round, added by the four best-ranked Nations League group teams that did not finish their World Cup qualifying group in first or second place. These 16 teams will then be bracketed to clinch Europe's remaining four World Cup spots in March 2026. Final full standings can be found here.
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