The 48-team World Cup will be held in the United States in 2026, and FIFA has approved the allocation of slots to all confederations. This is the first time the tournament will feature 48 teams. Currently, three countries from each region are guaranteed a place, with Concacaf, which includes the United States, having three automatic qualifiers. South America will have 3.5 places, and Africa will get nine. Oceania will have one spot.
There will be eight places for the 32 teams that will participate in the 2022 World Cup. This number is likely to rise to 48 after Qatar's qualification in December 2010. In addition to this, the allocation for the 2026 World Cup will include teams from South America, Asia, North and Central America, and Oceania. The "half" spots will go to countries from the same continent, but will be decided by a play-off system.
All 10 confederations will be represented. The host country will receive four automatic qualifiers, while the remaining eight nations will compete in inter-confederation playoffs to secure a place in the World Cup. A fifth team will play an intercontinental playoff against an Asian nation. The first four rounds of qualifying were suspended for two months in March and September 2020. Another round was postponed in March 2021 due to the Pandemic Influenza virus. In the summer of 2021, qualifying resumed with two rounds before Copa America in early June. An additional break is required for the final two places.
The round of 16 will be played in March and April. The first round will feature the six group winners and the five group runners-up. The top three teams will qualify and the third will play in an intercontinental playoff. The finals will also include four teams from each continent, while the bottom three will play in the intercontinental playoff. The qualifying phase will be held between March 14 and 30 in 2022.
There will be two rounds of qualifying. The first round will feature forty teams, and the second will be held in February. Each team must win a minimum of four qualifiers to secure a place. Once the top two qualify, the fourth round will determine the inter-confederation playoff winners. The remaining two rounds will be held in March and June. In June, the winner will be determined by the final draw.
If the qualifying tournament is hosted by UEFA, the World Cup will be held in South America. There are also two confederations in North America, and the US will host the tournament. Both are able to qualify for the World Championship. For 2026, however, France will not be one of them. The other nations in the region will be Canada and Mexico. They will be the same.-World cup qualifiers europe.