Overview
- Twenty-nine of 48 places are secured after France joined the field with a 4-0 win over Ukraine, with Argentina, Brazil and England among the confirmed teams.
- The tournament will feature 12 groups of four, with the top two and the eight best third-placed teams moving into a 32-team knockout phase.
- Teams will be placed into four seeding pots by FIFA ranking with confederation limits, an exception for UEFA, and the United States, Mexico and Canada assigned to different groups.
- Asia’s remaining berth will be settled on Nov. 18 between the United Arab Emirates and Iraq after a 1-1 first leg.
- Africa’s final spot will be decided in a one-off between Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while CONCACAF places are being resolved in Nov. 13 and 18 fixtures and intercontinental playoffs will complete the field.