World Cup 2026: Ghana becomes fifth African nation to qualify; details inside
A record 48 teams will take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States, Mexico, and Canada will co-host.
Ghana on Sunday became the fifth African team to secure a place at the tournament, joining Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. Ghana had previously reached the quarterfinals in 2010.
Forty-three World Cup spots will be decided through continental qualifying tournaments. Two additional teams will earn their places via the intercontinental playoffs, scheduled for March 2026. The three host nations automatically qualify.
The allocation of slots by confederation is as follows:
- Asia: 8 direct spots + 1 intercontinental playoff spot
- Africa: 9 direct spots + 1 intercontinental playoff spot
- North, Central America & Caribbean: 3 direct spots (plus hosts) + 2 intercontinental playoff spots
- South America: 6 direct spots + 1 intercontinental playoff spot
- Oceania: 1 guaranteed spot (New Zealand), with a possible second via intercontinental playoffs
- Europe: 16 spots
Teams qualified so far:
- Hosts: United States, Mexico, Canada
- Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia
- Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan
- Oceania: New Zealand
- South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay