The 48 teams that are set to compete in the 2026 World Cup are officially set.
The final 6 teams officially qualified on Tuesday, finalizing the nations competing.
The last six nations to qualify were the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Czech Republic, Turkey, Sweden, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This came after some stunning upsets, notably Italy and Denmark both favored to qualify and missing out. Italy has now missed out on the World Cup three consecutive times, falling just short every time.
The 48 teams at the world cup this year marks the greatest number of teams ever competing in a World Cup. The World Cup, held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada makes it the first time since 2002 the event has been co-hosted by multiple nations.
This expansion of teams led to four nations qualifying for the first time ever due to the extended number of teams. Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curacao have qualified for the first time, with other nations such as Haiti, Norway, and Scotland making their first re-appearance in more than 25 years.
Although these teams have qualified, there is much controversy surrounding the teams and fans being able to properly enter the countries they are expected to play in, mainly in the United States. Countries such as Haiti, DRC, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, Qatar, and Morocco all face significant challenges whether it be VISA troubles or payment issues.
The leading favorites going into the World Cup include Spain, England, France, Brazil, and Argentina, the defending champion. Experts have also noted some dark horses in the competition that could pose challenges including Norway, Japan, Turkey, and Croatia.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will start on June 11th and end on July 19th. More information about group drawings and match times can be found on the official FIFA website.
