World Cup 2026: Updated list of the 39 teams already qualified after the November FIFA break

The November international break allowed several teams to secure their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

There is less and less time remaining until the FIFA World Cup 2026, and little by little the list of teams that have secured their place in the tournament — which will be jointly organized next summer by the United States, Mexico, and Canada — is taking shape. During the international break in November there were important updates.

This week, the first stage of the European qualifiers came to an end. Each of the groups completed all of their matches, which resulted in the first 12 teams from the continent that qualified. They are the leaders of each of those groups, who were granted direct qualification to the World Cup.

England had been the only ones to achieve it during the October international break, thanks to a perfect record with only victories and no goals conceded. They were joined in recent days by other European powers: France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, and Belgium.

This will ensure the presence of several of the main soccer stars at the next World Cup, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Luka Modric, Erling Haaland, and Frenkie De Jong.

The European qualifiers now have one last stage ahead of them, the playoff, which will be played in the March international break. There, 16 teams will face off in four separate brackets, and the winners of each of them will obtain a spot to participate in the World Cup 2026.

Africa’s qualified teams

Unlike Europe, in Africa the teams that qualified directly to the World Cup 2026 had already been defined in October. They were 9 teams that secured their place as leaders of their respective groups: Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, and Ghana.

What was decided during the November international break was the team that qualified for the intercontinental playoff that will be played in March. The four best second-place teams from the initial phase of the qualifiers reached this stage, and there DR Congo left behind Gabon, Nigeria, and Cameroon to secure that spot.

Asia’s qualified teams

Asia’s qualifiers have had many stages. At first, those who secured their qualification were Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Japan, and Australia. In October, they were joined by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, rounding out the 8 direct qualifiers to the World Cup.

During the November international break, the fifth and final stage of the AFC qualifiers was played. There, Iraq and United Arab Emirates faced each other in home-and-away matches to determine Asia’s representative in the intercontinental playoff in March. After a 1–1 draw in Abu Dhabi, Iraq won 2–1 at home and remain in contention for a World Cup spot.

Concacaf qualifiers

For the Concacaf teams, these World Cup qualifiers were unusual, since the hosts of the 2026 tournament earned automatic qualification and therefore did not have to compete for that objective. Without Mexico, the United States, and Canada, other weaker teams found themselves with a historic opportunity to play the FIFA tournament.

This Tuesday, the final matchday of the qualifiers will be played and the final standings will be determined. The leaders of each of the three groups will secure their place in the World Cup, while the two best second-place teams will access the intercontinental playoff in March.

In Group A, everything will be decided between Suriname and Panama, who are currently tied on points. In Group B, Curaçao will try to defend their lead facing Jamaica, who are one point behind. In Group C, three teams still have chances: Honduras and Haiti (both tied at the top) and Costa Rica, who are two points behind.

South America’s qualified teams

In Conmebol, the outlook has been clear for some time. Argentina were the first to secure their place, winning the qualifiers with a wide margin. Later, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, and Colombia joined them, while Bolivia took seventh place and entered the intercontinental playoff in March.

Oceania will be represented at the World Cup 2026

With the change in the World Cup format and the corresponding expansion from 32 to 48 teams, Oceania secured a direct qualification spot that they had never had before. New Zealand were the ones who obtained it, while New Caledonia qualified for the intercontinental playoffs.

What’s next in the World Cup qualifiers?

With the regular phase of the qualifiers of each confederation completed, only one international break remains to define the 48 teams that will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026. In March, both the intercontinental playoff and the European playoff will be played.

The intercontinental playoff will take place in Mexico in March, and Bolivia, New Caledonia, DR Congo, Iraq, and two representatives from Concacaf will be there. The six teams will be divided into two groups, and the two highest-ranked teams will advance directly to the final, where they will face the winners of the semifinals. The best teams from each zone will qualify for the World Cup.

In Europe, simultaneously, there will also be a playoff. There, the 12 runners-up of each of the qualifiers’ groups will participate: Slovakia, Kosovo, Ukraine, Denmark, Turkey, Ireland, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Wales, Albania, and Czechia. They will be joined by the four Nations League group winners that finished outside the top two of their qualifying group: Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, and North Macedonia.

Those 16 teams will be divided into four zones, within which there will be single-leg semifinal and final matches that will determine the last four teams that qualify for the World Cup representing UEFA.