Overview
- Forty-two teams have qualified, leaving six berths to be awarded via UEFA play-offs (four) and an intercontinental play-off (two) in March 2026.
- Hosts are pre-assigned to group positions for the draw, with Mexico in A1, Canada in B1 and the United States in D1.
- FIFA confirmed four seeded pots based on the latest rankings, placing teams such as Argentina, Brazil, France, England, Spain, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the three hosts in Pot 1.
- UEFA’s 16-team play-offs feature the 12 group runners-up plus four Nations League entrants, with single-match semifinals on March 26 and finals on March 31 after a draw pairing Pot 1 vs Pot 4 and Pot 2 vs Pot 3.
- The intercontinental play-off will be staged in Mexico with semifinals on March 23 and finals on March 31, where Iraq and the DR Congo are seeded directly to the finals and Bolivia, New Caledonia, Jamaica, and Surinam contest the semifinals.