Countdown begins: 13 in, 35 to go for FIFA World Cup 2026

With exactly one year to go, the world is now on the final countdown to the biggest FIFA World Cup in history. On 11 June 2026, the globe's attention will turn to North America, where the FIFA World Cup 26 will kick off across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The expanded tournament, now featuring 48 teams for the first time, promises to be the most inclusive and far-reac

With exactly one year to go, the world is now on the final countdown to the biggest FIFA World Cup in history.

On 11 June 2026, the globe's attention will turn to North America, where the FIFA World Cup 26 will kick off across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The expanded tournament, now featuring 48 teams for the first time, promises to be the most inclusive and far-reaching edition ever, with 6.5 million fans expected in stadiums and millions more watching around the world.

"One year from now, the greatest football show on the planet will definitely captivate the world like never before," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. "This is more than a tournament – it's a global celebration of connection, unity and passion."

To mark the one year to go milestone, all 16 host cities are unveiling countdown clocks, each styled in the city's unique branding and placed in iconic locations. These clocks will tick steadily toward midnight on 11 June 2026, when the opening whistle will launch a new era for the sport.

As excitement builds off the pitch, the drama on it is intensifying. With just 12 months remaining, the qualification path is reaching its critical stages.

So far, 13 teams have sealed their place. Alongside co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the USA, ten more countries have booked their spots:
Here are ten countries who booked their spots:
a.   Argentina – the reigning champions.
b.   Brazil and Ecuador – strong CONMEBOL contenders.
c.   Australia, Japan, Korea Republic, IR Iran, and New Zealand – powerhouses from the AFC and OFC.
d.   Jordan and Uzbekistan – both making history with debut qualifications.

The remaining 35 berths will be decided by March 2026, with nations across Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, Oceania, and CONCACAF still battling through intense qualifiers. The Final Draw for the tournament, which will determine the group stage matchups, is scheduled for December 2025.

Meanwhile, the United States is set to host another major event – the newly revamped FIFA Club World Cup – starting this Saturday in Miami. It's a key lead-in to the World Cup, featuring 32 of the best clubs from around the globe.

Local communities across North America are also gearing up for the World Cup, with celebrations, community events, and promotional videos starring local personalities set to highlight each city's unique identity. As Infantino noted, "We look forward to hosting teams and guests from every continent to celebrate the beautiful game on its most majestic stage."

With qualification heating up and preparations in full swing, the final countdown to FIFA World Cup 26 is officially underway. The world is watching, the clock is ticking—and football's biggest party is almost here.

***After the latest round of qualifying matches, here is a breakdown of the confirmed contenders from each of the six regions:

Africa: None of the 54 nations involved in the qualifiers has been able to confirm their spots as the first round of qualifying matches does not conclude until October 16.
Asia: Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Japan.

Europe: None. Similar to Africa, none of the 54 European teams vying for 16 qualification spots have confirmed their berths as their first-round matches will run until November 18.

North, Central American and Caribbean region: Canada, Mexico and USA. With the World Cup host nations taking three spots, only three are left up for grabs and will be decided on November 18.

Oceania: New Zealand. With one spot up for grabs and 11 nations fighting for it, New Zealand emerged victorious and took the spot by winning the third-round playoff final against New Caledonia on March 24.

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador.

***Which teams can still qualify?
Apart from the nine African and 16 European spots still fully up for grabs, the others that are still in the race for a World Cup spot are:

Asia: Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, and Oman are vying for the two direct qualification slots for the World Cup and one intercontinental playoffs spot.

South America: Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia will fight for the three remaining World Cup slots, while Peru can only advance to the intercontinental playoffs.

North, Central American and Caribbean region: Honduras, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao, Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Guatemala, Suriname and El Salvador have all advanced to the third round, from where three teams will directly qualify for the World Cup. The three second-placed teams from each group will then fight for the intercontinental playoffs spot.

END/JT/HON

FIFA World Cup26