29 Nations Clinch Direct World Cup Spots as Europe and Africa Race to Finalize Berths
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup featuring an unprecedented 48 teams, the qualification process is nearing its final stage across the globe. As of today, Friday, November 14, 2025, 29 nations have secured their direct passage to the tournament set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The field is being rapidly defined by the expanded allocation slots provided by FIFA to each confederation, leading to new nations securing historic qualifications and established powers maintaining their dominance.
Qualified Teams by Confederation
| Confederation | Direct Slots Secured (as of Nov 14) | Qualified Nations (Alphabetical Order) |
| CONCACAF | 3 (Hosts) | Canada, Mexico, United States (Hosts) |
| CAF (Africa) | 9/9 | Algeria, Cape Verde (Debut), Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia |
| AFC (Asia) | 8/8 | Australia, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan (Debut), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan (Debut) |
| CONMEBOL | 6/6 | Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay |
| OFC (Oceania) | 1/1 | New Zealand |
| UEFA (Europe) | 2/12 | England, France |
| TOTAL | 29 |
The African (CAF) and South American (CONMEBOL) qualification phases are largely complete in terms of direct spots, with all nine CAF and all six CONMEBOL slots filled.
Ongoing Battles and Remaining Slots
The majority of the remaining uncertainty lies within Europe (UEFA) and the upcoming Intercontinental Play-offs.
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UEFA: Only England and France have confirmed their qualification by winning their respective groups. The final round of group matches this month will determine the remaining 10 direct qualifiers and the teams heading to the play-offs.
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Africa (CAF) Play-off: Following Nigeria’s extra-time victory over Gabon, the Super Eagles will face the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in the final on Sunday. The winner will earn the sole CAF slot in the six-team Intercontinental Play-off Tournament scheduled for March 2026.
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Intercontinental Play-offs: This six-team mini-tournament will decide the final two berths for the World Cup. Teams currently confirmed for the play-offs include Bolivia (CONMEBOL) and New Caledonia (OFC).
The next few days will be critical, with several European powerhouses like Portugal, Spain, and Norway looking to finalize their direct qualifications.
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