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France and Croatia Join Expanding 2026 World Cup Field Ahead of Dec. 5 Draw

The field stands at about 29 teams with more places to be settled this month before the Dec. 5 draw in Washington, D.C.

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Players of the Mexican national football team, Henry Martin, Ramon Juarez and Marcel Ruiz pose with the Mexico national team's new jersey during an event by Adidas, ahead of the 2026 World Cup, in Mexico City, Mexico, November 5, 2025. REUTERS/Henry Romero
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Overview

  • France clinched qualification on Nov. 13 and Croatia followed on Nov. 14, pushing the tally of confirmed nations to roughly 29 as November fixtures decide additional spots.
  • The draw takes place Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with the three co-hosts seeded in Pot 1 under FIFA’s rankings-based system.
  • The 2026 tournament expands to 48 teams in 12 groups of four, with the top two and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to a new last-32 knockout round.
  • Two final berths will be awarded via a six-team inter-confederation playoff in March that includes one team each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC plus two from CONCACAF, with matches expected to be staged in Mexico.
  • FIFA’s 46 direct places are allocated to UEFA (16), CAF (9), AFC (8), CONMEBOL (6), CONCACAF (6 including the three hosts) and OFC (1), and the qualified list already features debutants Jordan, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde alongside Argentina, Brazil, England and New Zealand.