Overview
- Austria clinched direct qualification with a 1–1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Vienna, as Michael Gregoritsch’s late equaliser secured the nation’s first World Cup since 1998.
- Forty-two of 48 World Cup slots are set, with the remaining six to be decided in March 2026 play-offs.
- The group-stage draw takes place on 5 December 2025 at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with Mexico in A1, Canada in B1 and the USA in D1 as pre-assigned hosts.
- FIFA’s expanded format features 48 teams in twelve four-team groups, a new round of 32 and 104 total matches.
- Curaçao qualified as the smallest-population nation ever to reach a World Cup, while Haiti advanced but continues to play home matches abroad and faces a U.S. travel ban that may bar its fans from attending.