The race to the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup intensified on Thursday as more nations secured their places for the tournament, which will be held across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
With qualification rounds still ongoing in several confederations, 27 countries have already booked their tickets.
Automatic Qualifiers
The three co-hosts, who qualify automatically, are:
- Canada
- Mexico
- United States
African Representatives
Africa’s representatives confirmed so far include:
- Algeria
- Cape Verde
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Ivory Coast
- Morocco
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Tunisia
Asian Qualifiers
The Asian confederation has produced eight qualifiers:
- Australia
- Iran
- Japan
- Jordan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Uzbekistan
European Teams
From UEFA, only two teams have sealed qualification at this stage:
- England
- France
Oceania Representative
Oceania has one representative:
- New Zealand
South American Contenders
CONMEBOL’s heavyweights have also started to secure their tickets:
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles of Nigeria and DR Congo are set to clash on Sunday for a place in the 2026 World Cup. Both teams achieved dramatic victories in Rabat to reach the final of the Africa playoff series.
Naija News understands that DR Congo secured their spot by defeating Cameroon 1-0 in a tense encounter at the Stade El Barid. The match appeared destined for extra time until Chancel Mbemba scored in the first minute of stoppage time, securing victory for DR Congo and eliminating the five-time African champions.
The Super Eagles reached the playoff final after a 4-1 victory over Gabon at the Moulay Hassan Stadium.
