The first teams to qualify for the 2026 World Cup have been announced

The 2026 World Cup will be a special one for football fans, as it will feature 48 teams for the first time. The tournament will be held on the green fields of the United States, Canada and Mexico, ensuring an even more inclusive World Cup, spanning Asia, Africa and the Americas.

First seven teams confirmed

The seven teams that will participate in the World Cup have been confirmed so far:
- USA (host)
- Canada (host)
- Mexico (host)
- Japan (via qualifier)
- New Zealand (winner of the Oceania qualifier)
- Iran (via qualifier)
- Argentina (via qualifier)

Bolivia's draw has qualified Argentina for the World Cup with four rounds remaining in the group stage. Messi's Argentina thus became the fourth team to qualify for the World Cup.

The USA, Canada and Mexico, as hosts, qualified without qualifying. The remaining four teams qualified for the World Cup by successfully participating in the qualifying stages of their respective confederations.

The largest World Cup in history

For the first time, 48 teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup. Previous World Cups featured 32 teams, but this time FIFA has decided to expand the tournament. The distribution of places by continent will be as follows:

• Europe (UEFA) – 16 teams
  
• Africa (CAF) – 9 teams
  
• Asia (AFC) – 8 teams
  
• South America (CONMEBOL) – 6 teams
  
• North America (CONCACAF) – 6 teams (including the 3 host teams)
  
• Oceania (AFC) – 1 team
  
• Intercontinental play-offs – 2 teams
  

Such a large format will make the tournament even more exciting and competitive. Many teams will have the opportunity to participate in the World Cup for the first time.

Defending champion – Argentina

As a reminder, the Argentine national team won the last World Cup in 2022. The team led by Lionel Messi defeated France in the final and became world champions for the third time. Argentina will defend its title in the 2026 World Cup.

Preparations for the 2026 World Cup are in full swing. So far, seven teams have confirmed their participation, while the remaining 41 teams will be determined in the qualifying matches. The qualifying process is expected to be intense, especially since many new teams from Asia and Africa have the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup.

Football fans will witness a major football festival in the USA, Canada and Mexico in 2026! Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”