England, which has so far won all seven matches of the qualifying tournament, officially punched its ticket after a 5-0 victory over Latvia on Oct. 14. France and Croatia then joined in mid-November, followed by Norway and Portugal on Nov. 16 and Germany and the Netherlands on Nov. 17.

President Donald Trump again suggested World Cup matches at US venues could be changed if the administration is concerned about safety in that city.

Forty-eight nations will compete in the newly-expanded format in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, attempting to etch their name into the history books and join the pantheon of greats to have lifted the golden trophy aloft. Many have already qualified for the tournament but only a handful of countries harbor genuine hopes of world domination.

Germany have qualified for the 2026 World Cup after a 6-0 win against Slovakia on Monday. Nick Woltemade broke the deadlock in the 18th and Serge Gnabry doubled the Germans' lead in the 29th.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is fast approaching next summer — but first, the ceremonial pomp of the World Cup draw, still to be held this winter.

Here are the best players who won’t feature at the 2026 World Cup. Hungary have been plucky opponents under Italian manager Marco Rossi, and they looked set to at least earn a playoff berth in UEFA’s qualifying process heading into the November break.

Spain’s dominant win in Tbilisi, a 4-0 performance that all but confirmed the national team’s ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has already pushed conversation toward next summer. With only an implausible scenario against Turkey in Sevilla able to derail qualification,