Five European countries – Belgium, Spain, Scotland, Switzerland and Austria – on Tuesday, November 18, qualified for the 2026 World Cup, which is being held next summer in an expanded format consisting of 48 teams.
Belgium comfortably beat Liechtenstein
Belgium crushed modest Liechtenstein (7-0) in Liège. Undeterred, the Red Devils opened the scoring through captain Hans Vanaken (3rd), then followed by two goals from Jérémy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere, in addition to the achievements of Brandon Mechele and Alexis Saelemaekers. Thus, the Red Devils will play their fifteenth World Cup.
Spain qualified despite drawing against Türkiye
Handled by Türkiye (2-2), Spain qualified, at the Seville stadium, for its seventeenth participation in the final phase of the World Cup. The European champions, who scored thanks to Dani Olmo (4th) and Mikel Oyarzabal (62nd), are suffering but unbeaten at the top of Group E (five wins and one draw). Türkiye, who scored goals thanks to Deniz Gül (42) and Salih Özcan (54), finished second and had to go through the play-offs.
Switzerland, qualified with a draw against Kosovo
Switzerland offers itself a sixth consecutive participation in the final phase of the World Cup, qualifying thanks to a draw (1-1) in Pristina against Kosovo, play-off round. After a locked first action, Nati took advantage after returning from the dressing room through a cross shot from Ruben Vargas (47th) before Florent Muslija equalized with a superb curling shot at the entrance of the penalty area (74th, 1-1).
Austria qualified with a draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina
Austria qualified thanks to a draw (1-1) against Bosnia-Herzegovina at home in Vienna. Held from the 12the In the “final” minute of this group thanks to Haris Tabakovic’s goal, Austria equalized in the 77th minute through Michael Gregoritsch to secure first place ahead of Bosnia-Herzegovina (19 points versus 17 points). This is the first time since the 1998 World Cup in France that Austria has competed in the final phase of the competition.
Scotland, winner against Denmark
In Glasgow, Scotland escaped with a win thanks to two goals scored in stoppage time against Denmark (4-2), who will have to play in the play-offs in March. A strike from Kieran Tierney from outside the box (90ᵉ+3) and a lob from Kenny McLean from the center circle (90ᵉ+8) earned Scotland the win needed to take first place in Group C, two points ahead of their evening opponents. Scotland’s last participation in the World Cup was in 1998, twenty-seven years ago.
Final six spots to win
Twenty-two countries, including Italy, will compete in March for the final six spots for the final phase of the competition. Four will be shipped to European countries, and two more will be shipped worldwide. The draw for the play-offs will be held on Thursday, November 20, at FIFA headquarters in Zurich (Switzerland).
Thirty-nine countries have qualified
The thirty-nine countries that have qualified are:
North America, Central America and Caribbean Zone: The United States, Canada and Mexico all three automatically qualify as host countries
Asia Zone: Australia, South Korea, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
Oceania Zone: New Zealand
South America Zone: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
African Zone: Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast
European Zone: England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Scotland, Austria, Switzerland
Among these countries, Cape Verde, Uzbekistan and Jordan will play the final phase of the first World Cup in their history. The forty-eight participating countries will be divided into twelve groups of four teams, the first two of which will qualify directly for the round of 16, an unprecedented format in the history of the finals. The eight best third placers will complete the table.
The opening match is scheduled for June 11, 2026 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The final will take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in Greater New York. Sixteen locations will host competition games (eleven in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada).
