The qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is reaching its closing stages, with 26 of the 48 qualifying nations already booking their place in the finals. Come next Wednesday, all but six spots in next summer’s World Cup will be filled, as European, North American, and Central American nations complete the group stage of their qualification bid this week. The final six will then be confirmed next March in the final part of the extensive qualification process.
As yet, England are the only European team to qualify after winning six out of six games in their group so far and putting themselves out of reach of the chasing pack. The winners of the other 11 UEFA groups will also automatically clinch their place at the finals, with a more complicated process for the final four European spots.
The 12 second-place finishers in the qualification groups will be joined by the four highest-ranking group winners in the UEFA Nations League, a tournament held every two years between European nations (not to be confused with the European Championships, a summer tournament held every four years). The highest-ranking group winners, decided by the FIFA world rankings, along with the second-place teams are then split into four brackets of four teams to decide the four winners.
Keeping up?
Similarly to the European format, the three group winners in the CONCACAF qualifiers for Northern and Central American nations will automatically qualify, but only the two best second-place teams will earn a chance in a playoff. These two, along with New Caledonia, who were the runners-up of the Oceanic nations’ qualification tournament; the winner of the CAF playoff for second-place African nations; the winner of UAE vs Iraq over two legs; and Bolivia, the seventh-placed side in the CONMEBOL league qualification for South American nations will be split into two brackets of three teams. The two lowest-ranked FIFA nations in each bracket will play in a semi-final, and the winner will then face the highest-ranked team in the bracket for a spot at the World Cup finals.
Makes perfect sense, right? If not, don’t worry, you’re certainly not the only one. When everything is said and done at the end of March, 48 nations will be on their way to North America for the finals for the biggest World Cup in history. The expansion has come under criticism from some fans, who believe the World Cup is for only the elite nations and that the expansion will worsen the quality of football on display. However, the expansion has opened up the opportunity for nations who rarely or never qualify to showcase themselves on the biggest stage of them all.
Of the 26 teams who have already qualified, Cape Verde, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will all be World Cup debutants having never qualified for any previous edition. There are also a number of teams still in the hunt who could become debutants or could end a long drought since their last qualification. Once such nation looking to go back for the first time in many years is Scotland. With at least a playoff already secured, the Scots could still claim an automatic qualification spot if they can pip Denmark to the top of their group. Scotland haven’t competed at the World cup since the Summer of 1998, but could end that 27-year-drought next week. Many young Scotland supporters, such as Mostyn Findlater, are thrilled by the prospect of potential qualification. “It’s super exciting… when we qualified for the [European Championships] the support was sensational, but I think the hype would be twice as much for the World Cup,” Findlater said.
The job is not done yet however, with two final group games against Greece and Denmark separating them from their ultimate goal. Findlater is confident that his country can get the job done by this time next week. “I’m very optimistic… I think we can. Its definitely the best chance there’s been in my lifetime anyways,” Findlater said.
Football fans like Findlater from around the globe will be keeping a keen eye on this weekend’s monumental matchups, as we edge closer and closer to the 2026 World Cup.
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