As the 2026 World Cup draws closer, qualifying matches will start to kick-off across Europe and beyond. The tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States will feature 48 nations, the biggest ever — but not all teams have already qualified.
Qualification is a marathon process that sees national teams compete against each other over a period of months. Each stage typically involves a series of groups or knockout ties. The winning team advances to the next round, while the runners-up compete in inter-confederation play-offs. The top two teams in those playoffs secure the final two places at the World Cup.
The qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup are well underway, with three previous winners from Europe in a strong position to secure their place at the competition. Germany, England and France are all hoping to join Argentina and Brazil at the finals in Russia.
In the Oceanic region, New Caledonia have already booked their spot thanks to winning their group, with their rivals in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu battling it out in November for the remaining spot.
The qualifiers in UEFA will include 12 groups of four or five teams, with the winners taking one of the 16 available berths at the finals. The other berths will be determined by the 12 group runners-up who will compete in a two-legged play-off. Generally speaking, the team with the higher aggregate score wins the tie. If the scores are level, extra time and penalty shootout may be required to determine the winner.