The 2026 FIFA World Cup is still over a year away, but four nations have already qualified for the biggest football tournament of them all.
Canada, Mexico and The United States will co-host the competition and are guaranteed a place in the tournament. This will be the first time ever that the FIFA World Cup will feature 48 countries.
But who are the four teams that have already qualified for next year’s huge event?
Argentina Book Their Place
Defending champions Argentina are the most recent nation to secure their spot. They are also the first South American side to be assured of a place at next year’s tournament.
Due to the increased amount of teams at next year’s FIFA World Cup, CONMEBOL (the South American football federation) have been handed six automatic qualification berths. A seventh South American nation can still qualify via a play-offs encounter.
With only ten nations affiliated to CONMEBOL, it would have been almost unthinkable for Argentina to have not qualified for next year’s major event.
As usual, the CONMEBOL qualification is decided over one league stage involving all its member nations playing each other twice home and away.
Last night’s goalless draw between Bolivia and Uruguay officially secured Argentina’s qualification without them even kicking a ball. However, the three-time FIFA World Cup winners celebrated their achievement in style yesterday evening by embarrassing rivals Brazil 4-1 at home. The victory sees Argentina eight points clear at the top of the CONMEBOL standings with just four games remaining.
Qualification Secured for Iran
From the AFC (Asian Football Confederation), Iran have already secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This is the seventh time that the Lions of Persia have qualified for the major event in their history. It’s also the fourth time in a row that Iran will feature at the grandest stage of them all.
In the third round stage of the AFC qualification process, the 18 remaining nations are split into three groups of six teams who then play each other home and away in a round-robin format. The top two countries in each group qualify automatically for next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Iran’s qualification was assured on Tuesday following an entertaining 2-2 home draw against surprise package Uzbekistan.
With two group matches remaining, Amir Ghalenoei’s side sit at the top of Group A with an unassailable seven point lead over The United Arab Emirates in third place.
Samurai Blue’s Qualification Assured
Japan became the first nation to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup back on March 20. The Samurai Blue defeated Bahrain 2-0 at home in Group C to seal their place with three matches to spare. They are already guaranteed to top the group with second-placed Australia seven points behind with two matches remaining.
As things stand, Hajime Moriyasu’s side appear to be the strongest Asian team right now. They currently sit 15th in the official FIFA world rankings.
Next year will mark Japan’s eighth consecutive appearance at a FIFA World Cup. They have never advanced beyond the Round of 16 phase.
All Whites Join The Party
New Zealand have also already qualified for next year’s major event. With 16 extra teams competing in next year’s World Cup in comparison to the 2022 competition, the OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) were allocated one automatic qualification berth for the first time ever.
The All Whites defeated New Caledonia 3-0 at home recently in the final of the OFC qualifying section to book their place.
This is the third time New Zealand have qualified for a FIFA World Cup. Their last appearance was at the 2010 edition in South Africa. Bizarrely, they exited at the group stage without losing a match.
A Look at the Co-Hosts
In terms of the three co-hosts, Mexico currently have the most confidence. On Monday, El Tricolor beat Panama 2-1 in dramatic fashion to win the CONCACAF Nations League. A stoppage time converted penalty from Fulham’s Raul Jimenez secured the trophy for Mexico.
El Tricolor are also the reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup champions.
Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch is in charge of the Canadian men’s national side. The Canucks defeated The United States 2-1 last Sunday to finish third in the CONCACAF Nations League.
Pressure on Pochettino
Former Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino is the manager of The United States. Despite this huge coup of an appointment, The Stars And Stripes are still struggling to produce impressive performances.
A huge amount of work and progress will be needed if The United States are going to have a strong presence in next year’s FIFA World Cup.
This summer’s 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be a big chance for Mexico, Canada and The United States to win a major trophy and build further momentum.
In particular, there will be huge pressure on Pochettino to deliver silverware and restore confidence in the side. With a talented squad at his disposal and the advantage of co-hosting the tournament, there can be no excuses for a poor tournament performance.