2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – Complete Schedule, Match Windows & Format
The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest qualification journey in football history. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams, national teams across every continent are competing from 2023 to 2026 to secure their place on the world’s biggest stage.
This detailed guide covers every qualifying round, match window, and confederation format in a clean, well-organized layout — perfect for fans who want the full picture of the global qualifiers.
Global Qualification Overview
The qualification cycle spans nearly three years, beginning in September 2023 and concluding in March 2026. Each confederation runs its own format, featuring group stages, home-and-away fixtures, playoffs, and an inter-continental tournament.
FIFA World Cup Qualifying Table 2025-26
Full FIFA qualifying standings for Groups A to L. Scroll sideways on mobile to view all columns including wins, draws, losses, goals, goal difference and points.
| # | Team | GP | W | D | L | F | A | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | |||||||||
| 1 |
Germany
|
6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 3 | +13 | 15 |
| 2 |
Slovakia
|
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 12 |
| 3 |
Northern Ireland
|
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 9 |
| 4 |
Luxembourg
|
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 13 | −12 | 0 |
| Group B | |||||||||
| 1 |
Switzerland
|
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 14 |
| 2 |
Kosovo
|
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 11 |
| 3 |
Slovenia
|
6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 4 |
| 4 |
Sweden
|
6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 2 |
| Group C | |||||||||
| 1 |
Scotland
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 13 |
| 2 |
Denmark
|
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 7 | +9 | 11 |
| 3 |
Greece
|
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 12 | −2 | 7 |
| 4 |
Belarus
|
6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 17 | −13 | 2 |
| Group D | |||||||||
| 1 |
France
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 16 |
| 2 |
Ukraine
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 10 |
| 3 |
Iceland
|
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 7 |
| 4 |
Azerbaijan
|
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 16 | −13 | 1 |
| Group E | |||||||||
| 1 |
Spain
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 2 | +19 | 16 |
| 2 |
Turkey
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 13 |
| 3 |
Georgia
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 15 | −8 | 3 |
| 4 |
Bulgaria
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 19 | −16 | 3 |
| Group F | |||||||||
| 1 |
Portugal
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 7 | +13 | 13 |
| 2 |
Republic of Ireland
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 10 |
| 3 |
Hungary
|
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 8 |
| 4 |
Armenia
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 19 | −16 | 3 |
| Group G | |||||||||
| 1 |
Netherlands
|
8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 4 | +23 | 20 |
| 2 |
Poland
|
8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 17 |
| 3 |
Finland
|
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 14 | −6 | 10 |
| 4 |
Malta
|
8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 19 | −15 | 5 |
| 5 |
Lithuania
|
8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 3 |
| Group H | |||||||||
| 1 |
Austria
|
8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 4 | +18 | 19 |
| 2 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 7 | +10 | 17 |
| 3 |
Romania
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 13 |
| 4 |
Cyprus
|
8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 8 |
| 5 |
San Marino
|
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 39 | −37 | 0 |
| Group I | |||||||||
| 1 |
Norway
|
8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 5 | +32 | 24 |
| 2 |
Italy
|
8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 12 | +9 | 18 |
| 3 |
Israel
|
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 20 | −1 | 12 |
| 4 |
Estonia
|
8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 21 | −13 | 4 |
| 5 |
Moldova
|
8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 32 | −27 | 1 |
| Group J | |||||||||
| 1 |
Belgium
|
8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 7 | +22 | 18 |
| 2 |
Wales
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 11 | +10 | 16 |
| 3 |
North Macedonia
|
8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 13 |
| 4 |
Kazakhstan
|
8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 8 |
| 5 |
Liechtenstein
|
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 31 | −31 | 0 |
| Group K | |||||||||
| 1 |
England
|
8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | +22 | 24 |
| 2 |
Albania
|
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 14 |
| 3 |
Serbia
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 13 |
| 4 |
Latvia
|
8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 15 | −10 | 5 |
| 5 |
Andorra
|
8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 16 | −13 | 1 |
| Group L | |||||||||
| 1 |
Croatia
|
8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 4 | +22 | 22 |
| 2 |
Czechia
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 8 | +10 | 16 |
| 3 |
Faroe Islands
|
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 12 |
| 4 |
Montenegro
|
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 17 | −9 | 9 |
| 5 |
Gibraltar
|
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 28 | −25 | 0 |
Total World Cup Spots (48 Teams)
| Confederation | Region | Direct Slots | Playoff Slots | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | Asia | 8 | 1 | Multi-round group & home-away format |
| CAF | Africa | 9 | 1 | Largest league-style qualifiers ever held |
| CONCACAF | North/Central America & Caribbean | 6* | 2 | USA, Mexico & Canada automatically qualified as hosts |
| CONMEBOL | South America | 6 | 1 | Historic 10-team league table |
| OFC | Oceania | 1 | 1 | First time Oceania gets a direct slot |
| UEFA | Europe | 16 | – | Group stage + playoff paths |
| FIFA Play-Off Tournament | Intercontinental | – | 2 | Final route to the World Cup |
*Hosts USA, Mexico & Canada already occupy 3 of the 6 CONCACAF slots.
2026 World Cup Qualifiers – Confederation-by-Confederation Breakdown
Below is the complete qualifying structure for every continent, presented in a readable, SEO-friendly format.
AFC – Asian Qualifiers (8 Direct Spots + 1 Playoff Spot)
Qualification Window: October 2023 – November 2025
Asia’s qualifiers follow a structured, multi-round system, narrowing dozens of teams into eight direct qualifiers.
AFC Qualification Format
Round 1 – Preliminary Knockout
- Lower-ranked nations play two-legged home and away ties
- Held during October 2023
Round 2 – Group Stage
- 36 teams divided into 9 groups of 4
- Matches played across:
- November 2023
- March 2024
- June 2024
- Top 2 teams from each group advance
Round 3 – Final Group Stage
- 18 teams split into 3 groups of 6
- Ten matchdays from September 2024 to June 2025
- Top 2 per group qualify directly (6 teams)
Round 4 – Asian Playoffs
- 3rd-place teams battle for:
- 2 more direct spots, and
- 1 intercontinental playoff spot
CAF – African Qualifiers (9 Direct Spots + 1 Playoff Spot)
Qualification Window: November 2023 – November 2025
Africa’s qualifiers are the largest league-style tournament ever, offering nine automatic World Cup tickets.
CAF Qualification Format
League Stage
- 9 groups of 6 teams
- Every team plays 10 matches (home & away)
- Match windows include:
- November 2023 (2 matchdays)
- June 2024 (2 matchdays)
- March 2025 (2 matchdays)
- September 2025 (2 matchdays)
- October 2025 (1 matchday)
- November 2025 (1 matchday)
Qualification Rules
- 9 group winners → qualify directly
- 4 best runners-up → CAF playoff
- Playoff winner → enters FIFA Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament
CONMEBOL – South American Qualifiers (6 Direct Spots + 1 Playoff Spot)
Qualification Window: September 2023 – September 2025
South America keeps its classic, fan-favorite format — a single league table of 10 nations.
CONMEBOL Format
- Double round-robin
- 18 matchdays total
- Two games per FIFA window
Match Window Highlights
- Six matchdays in 2023
- Six matchdays in 2024
- Final six matchdays in 2025, ending in September
Qualification Rules
- Top 6 teams → World Cup
- 7th place → FIFA Play-Off Tournament
CONCACAF – North & Central America Qualifiers (3 Direct Spots + 2 Playoff Spots)
Qualification Window: March 2024 – November 2025
With the United States, Mexico, and Canada already qualified, CONCACAF fights for three more seats.
CONCACAF Qualification Format
Round 1 – Preliminary Knockouts
- Smallest-ranked teams
- Played in March 2024
Round 2 – Group Stage
- 10 groups of 4 teams
- Match windows:
- June 2024
- June 2025
- Group winners advance
Round 3 – Final Round
- 12 teams, grouped into 3 groups of 4
- Six matchdays from September to November 2025
- Group winners → qualify
- Best runners-up → FIFA Play-Off Tournament
OFC – Oceania Qualifiers (1 Direct Slot + 1 Playoff Slot)
Qualification Window: September 2024 – March 2025
For the first time, Oceania receives a guaranteed World Cup seat.
OFC Qualification Format
- Opening rounds & group phase run through late 2024
- Final 4-team knockout phase in March 2025:
- Semi-finals
- Final
- Winner → qualifies directly
- Runner-up → enters FIFA Intercontinental Play-Offs
UEFA – European Qualifiers (16 Direct Spots)
Qualification Window: March 2025 – March 2026
Europe retains its structured group stage system followed by play-off paths.
UEFA Qualification Structure
Group Stage
- Multiple groups
- Matches from March 2025 to November 2025
UEFA Play-offs
- Matches scheduled for:
- March 26, 2026
- March 31, 2026
- Winners fill the remaining European slots
FIFA Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament (Final 2 Spots)
Play-Off Dates: March 26–31, 2026
Six teams from different continents compete for the final two places at the 2026 World Cup.
Teams Involved
- 1 team from AFC
- 1 team from CAF
- 2 teams from CONCACAF
- 1 team from CONMEBOL
- 1 team from OFC
Format
- Lower-ranked teams play preliminary matches
- Winners face seeded teams in semi-finals
- Two final winners qualify for the World Cup
We give you the complete schedule structure, ready to guide fans through every step of the journey to the World Cup.
