FIFA confirms full 48-team lineup for 2026 World Cup

“The line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been completed with six teams clinching the remaining places among the 48 that will make the upcoming tournament in North America the most inclusive ever,” the statement read, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Iraq was the last team to secure qualification, defeating Bolivia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico. Iraq will join France, Senegal, and Norway in Group I, bringing to a close a global qualifying campaign that spanned 899 matches over 937 days. Additionally, five more teams earned spots on March 31 as the worldwide qualifying process concluded.

In Europe, the final four of the continent’s 16 representatives were decided in dramatic play-offs. The Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Türkiye, and Sweden claimed their places through intense matches, joining Groups A (Czech Republic), B (Bosnia and Herzegovina), D (Turkey), and F (Sweden), respectively.

Across the Atlantic in Mexico, the remaining two World Cup spots were determined. Fans of DR Congo will see their team face Portugal on June 17 in Houston, Texas, after DR Congo defeated Jamaica 1-0 in Guadalajara, earning the final spot in Group K.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19, with matches held across 16 cities in the three countries. This tournament will mark the first time the FIFA World Cup features 48 teams, expanded from the previous 32-team format.

FIFA’s press office also noted that more than six million football fans from around the world are expected to attend matches during the tournament.