Who has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far? Teams, dates and confederation allocations

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will break new ground next year as a revamped and expanded edition of the most popular football tournament in the world heads to North America.

The United States, Mexico, and Canada will play host to the latest edition of the celebrated event, with more nations than ever before set to be involved over almost six weeks.

Forty-eight teams will feature at the tournament - and from old favourites to new faces, there will be plenty out to make a statement on some of the biggest stages of all.

So just who has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far? DAZN News takes a look at the teams who will be lining up for their national anthems next summer.

Who has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Fourty-two teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far, including three nations - the United States, Mexico and Canada - as co-hosts of the tournament.

Japan was the first team overall to qualify beyond them, after a successful AFC campaign, with New Zealand the next to secure their berth after victory in the OFC Final. Defending World Cup champions Argentina were the first South American side to qualify, while Morocco were the first African side to book their place in the North American tournament, and England were the first European side to qualify.

How many teams will be involved in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Forty-eight teams will be involved in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, representing the largest number of nations ever featured in the main finals of the tournament.

It marks a departure from the long-standing format of 32 teams, which has been in place since the last expansion of the event for the France 1998 FIFA World Cup.

These teams will play in a dozen groups of four nations, with the top two sides and the eighth-best ranked third-place nations progressing to a last-32 knockout stage.

How many places does each confederation have at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

For the first time, all six confederations are assured of at least one place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the expansion of the tournament to four dozen teams.

Each confederation has a set number of fixed qualifiers, while all but UEFA also have spots in an inter-confederation play-off event to decide the final nations.

Below, you can find a breakdown of how the 2026 FIFA World Cup allocates its qualification slots and pathways.

When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup take place?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place between June 11 and July 19, 2026, and will be one of the longest editions of the sport's flagship tournament.

It will begin with a Group A match between Mexico and an unknown opponent at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, and conclude with the final at New York's MetLife Stadium.

Sixteen cities will host matches throughout the course of the tournament, with 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada.