2026 FIFA World Cup: 17 teams secure qualification

1

 

The race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is gathering pace, with 17 nations already booking their spots at the global showpiece, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

As hosts, the three North American countries automatically qualified, leaving the rest of the world to battle through regional qualifiers.

In South America, the familiar giants have once again proved dominant. Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Paraguay have all sealed their places, ensuring the continent will be strongly represented.

Asia’s qualifying rounds produced history as Jordan earned a maiden World Cup appearance. They will join Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Australia as Asia’s flagbearers.

From Oceania, New Zealand booked their ticket after triumphing in their regional qualifiers, continuing their dominance of the confederation.

Meanwhile, Morocco became the first African side to qualify, continuing the momentum from their impressive run at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

The 2026 edition marks a significant milestone for world football. FIFA has expanded the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, creating more opportunities for emerging nations to participate. With 17 teams already confirmed, the final list will be completed in the coming months as qualifiers wrap up across Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia.

The world now awaits the full line-up for what promises to be the biggest World Cup in history, kicking off in June 2026 across stadiums in the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Author

  • My name is Emmanuel Austin Baah, professionally known as “Okocha”. I am a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and football commentator from Senya Bereku in the Central Region. My work reflects a strong commitment to factual reporting, ethical journalism and the continuous promotion of Ghanaian sports.

    I am currently pursuing my studies at Cape Coast Technical University, building on a solid foundation of media practice and communication. I previously served as a sports producer at Radio Gold (90.5) and Montie FM (100.1) in Accra, where I was actively involved in editorial planning, programme production, live commentary and in-depth sports analysis.

    Presently, I am a Senior Writer at SportsNetGhana.com, a role in which I produce well-researched features, match reports, athlete profiles and analytical pieces. My work consistently highlights emerging talents, captures key sporting developments and contributes to shaping informed sports discourse in Ghana.

    Over the course of my career, I have covered numerous major sporting events both locally and internationally. Among these, the highlight remains my coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a significant milestone that strengthened my expertise in global football reporting and enhanced my understanding of international sports dynamics.

    I am widely recognised for my clarity of analysis, engaging commentary style and strong command of both local and global football trends. Beyond the newsroom, I participate in community initiatives aimed at developing young sports journalists and promoting youth engagement in sports.

    For professional engagements, media collaborations or enquiries, please contact me on 0265284330.

    View all posts

Comments are closed.