Argentina, Iran, Japan and New Zealand are the only teams to have booked their spot in as the World Cup 2026 qualifiers continue around the world.
The quartet join the three hosts – who are automatically qualified – as seven of the 48 nations set to take part in what will be the largest World Cup in the tournament’s history.
The 2026 edition will be the first time FIFA implements its expanded format, paving the way for more teams than ever to qualify from each of the seven federations.
While seven spots are already spoken for, some teams in Europe have not even kicked off their qualifying campaign. Read on as we take a look at the state of play in qualifying around the world.
UPDATE: Quartet of Teams Book Ticket in World Cup 2026 Qualifiers
Asia (AFC)
Japan and Iran were the first Asian teams to book their ticket to the World Cup, leaving the others to battle for the remaining six slots allocated to the confederation.
Australia are on course to follow suit. They currently sit in an automatic qualification spot and Aussie bettors have been wagering heavily on them getting the job done.
The Australian team is one of the strongest betting tips for today given they have pieced together a seven-game unbeaten streak in the qualifiers.
Punters in Australia are set to receive a sizeable payout if the team claims second spot in their group and they look a good bet to progress to the World Cup.
Americas (CONCACAF)
We’re just two games into the second round of the CONCACAF qualifiers, and the US, Canada and Mexico will be eager to see which six CONCACAF nations will join them at the World Cup.
The expanded format has shuffled things around, so there are now six groups of five teams, with the top sides advancing to the next round. Three groups of four will battle it out in the third round. The winner of each group will get a slot at the World Cup, while the two best runners-up get a second chance through the intercontinental play-offs.
Oceania (AFC)
New Zealand are the biggest winners from the expanded World Cup format after punching their ticket via the only automatic slot available to Oceanic nations. The Kiwis made light work of New Caledonia with a 3-0 win in the qualifying final. The latter will get another shot at a coveted World Cup spot through the intercontinental play-offs.
New Caledonia will square off with six other teams – one each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC, along with two nations from CONCACAF.
The play-offs will decide the final two teams to qualify for the World Cup. FIFA rankings will play a key role here, sending the top two teams straight to the final play-off round. The other four will compete in two semi-finals. The winners will then face the top two sides for the final places in the World Cup ahead of the curtain raiser on June 11.
Africa (CAF)
The CAF World Cup qualifiers kicked off in November 2023, and the race for a coveted place in the showpiece is heating up, with nine groups of six teams each battling for a spot.
Group winners qualify automatically, while the four best runners-up head into the play-offs. The play-off winners will then move on to the intercontinental play-offs.
DR Congo, South Africa, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, and Ivory Coast are on course to seal automatic qualification with four games remaining.
South America (CONMEBOL)
The CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying group is rapidly heading towards the finish line.
Unlike the other confederations, all ten South American teams compete in a single group, facing each other home and away across 18 games.
Argentina were the first to qualify for the World Cup and could be joined by Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay and Colombia, who are sitting in the remaining automatic places.
However, some of them would still be looking over their shoulders, with just five points separating sixth-placed Colombia from seventh-placed Venezuela.
Whichever team finishes seventh could still have a chance, but they would have to go through the intercontinental play-offs.
Europe (UEFA)
European teams have only just kicked off their World Cup qualifiers and there are 16 slots up for grabs. UEFA clubs are split into 12 groups, with winners heading straight to the World Cup.
The runners-up go into a set of play-offs for the remaining four places and will square off with the highest-ranked Nations League group winners that haven’t already qualified.
Some teams have got their campaign underway, with England picking up consecutive wins against Albania and Latvia.
Others are still on Nations League duties and will kick off their campaign in September. European teams will wrap up the group stage in November before the play-offs start in March 2026.
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Main photo credit: IMAGO / PA Images