Overview
- Forty‑two teams are confirmed across 12 groups for the United States–Mexico–Canada tournament, which runs June 11 to July 19, 2026.
- UEFA will fill four berths through Paths A–D, with semifinals on Thursday, March 26 and finals on Tuesday, March 31 to determine the last European qualifiers.
- The UEFA path winners slot into specific groups: Path A to Group B (with Canada, Qatar, Switzerland), Path B to Group F (Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia), Path C to Group D (United States, Paraguay, Australia), and Path D to Group A (Mexico, South Africa, South Korea).
- Intercontinental Playoff 1 in Guadalajara features New Caledonia vs Jamaica, with the winner facing DR Congo on March 31 for a place in Group K with Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
- Intercontinental Playoff 2 in Monterrey pits Bolivia vs Surinam, with the winner meeting Iraq on March 31 for a place in Group I with France, Senegal and Norway; the format advances the top two in each group plus eight best third‑placed teams to a new round of 32, with the opener at Estadio Azteca and the final at MetLife Stadium.