Twenty-eight teams have secured their place in the World Cup finals next summer, including the three co-hosts, and many more will join them over the next 10 days.
Defending champions Argentina, Brazil and England lead the heavyweight nations to have already qualified for the global showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico in seven months’ time but who may be next to join them?
Here, we examine the state of play:
EUROPE (16 direct spots)
How the groups look heading into the international break.
The 12 group winners qualify automatically. Runners-up qualify for a 16-team play-off competition that also includes the four best-ranked Nations League section winners who did not finish in the top two of their World Cup qualifying groups.
The 16 teams will be drawn into four play-off paths, each featuring four teams, with single-leg semi-finals and finals taking place in March 2026. The four winners will qualify.
Only England have qualified from the group phase so far, Thomas Tuchel’s men cruising through Group K with six wins from six.
Who may be next?
FRANCE: will qualify if they beat Ukraine on Thursday.
SWITZERLAND: will qualify if they beat Sweden, and Kosovo fail to defeat Slovenia. OR, they draw against Sweden, and Kosovo lose to Slovenia.
BELGIUM: will qualify if they beat Kazakhstan.
NETHERLANDS: will qualify if they beat Poland.
AUSTRIA: will qualify if they beat Cyprus, and Bosnia and Herzegovina fail to defeat Romania.
PORTUGAL: will qualify if they beat Republic of Ireland. OR, they draw against Republic of Ireland, and Hungary fail to defeat Armenia.
NORWAY: will qualify if they beat Estonia, and Italy fail to defeat Moldova. OR, they draw against Estonia, and Italy lose to Moldova.
SPAIN: will qualify if they beat Georgia, and Turkey fail to defeat Bulgaria.
NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA (Six direct spots + two Play-Off Tournament places)
How the groups look heading into the international break.
No team has qualified as yet.
Who may be next?
HONDURAS: will qualify if they beat Nicaragua, and Costa Rica draw versus Haiti.
JAMAICA: will qualify if they beat Trinidad and Tobago, and Curaçao lose to Bermuda.
AFRICA (Nine direct spots + one Play-Off Tournament place)
Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast and South Africa have qualified.
The four best group runners-up – Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and DR Congo – play off this week to determine the one nation that will participate in the Play-Off Tournament.
ASIA (Eight direct spots + one Play-Off Tournament place)
Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan have qualified.
Iraq and the United Arab Emirates play-off this week to determine the one nation that will participate in the Play-Off Tournament.
SOUTH AMERICA (Six direct spots + one Play-Off Tournament place)
Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay have qualified.
Bolivia will participate in the Play-Off Tournament.
OCEANIA (One direct spot + one Play-Off Tournament place)
New Zealand have qualified.
New Caledonia will participate in the Play-Off Tournament.
What is the Play-Off Tournament?
A newly created event designed that will determine the last two qualifiers.
Six teams will participate with the four lowest nations in the FIFA World Rankings meeting in the semi-finals. The two highest-ranked teams will go directly into the finals.
The winners of the two finals will secure a place in the US, Mexico and Canada.
