Overview
- Spain, Belgium and Switzerland clinched qualification on November 18 as UEFA’s group phase concluded, with Scotland and Austria also securing direct spots.
- Germany (6-0 vs. Slovakia) and the Netherlands (4-0 vs. Lithuania) qualified the previous night to extend Europe’s list of confirmed entrants.
- CONCACAF’s final matchday added Panama, Haiti and Curaçao to the field, bringing the number of qualified teams to 42 including hosts Canada, the United States and Mexico.
- Four remaining European places will be decided through March playoffs, and those winners will enter the lowest seeding pot for the finals.
- The 2026 tournament expands to 48 teams in 12 groups of four, and the December 5 draw will apply confederation limits with France placed in Pot 1.