This year promises to see the race to FIFA World Cup 26™ step up another level as qualifiers on all continents head towards the business end of proceedings. Since 1 March 2023, only the co-hosts Canada, Mexico and USA have had their World Cup participation confirmed, but that won’t remain the case for much longer.
It begs the question: who will be the first team to punch their ticket to the biggest World Cup of all time? As 2025 kicks off, FIFA looks at the most credible candidates and delves into the current standings in each six confederation.
Japan out to make history
AFC are into the third round of their qualification campaign, with the 36 teams which entered the opening group stage now down to just 18 sides. Of those, Japan have undoubtedly enjoyed the most impressive campaign so far. Their five wins and one draw in Group C sees them comfortably top the standings and leaves Hajime Moriyasu’s side just one win shy of an eighth successive World Cup qualification.
If the Samurai Blue secure a home win against Bahrain, who currently sit fifth in the group, they will qualify on 20 March 2025 and would become the first team to join the trio of North American nations. Should they fail to get over the line there, they will get another opportunity just five days later against Saudi Arabia. Korea Republic, IR Iran, Uzbekistan and Iraq could also secure their spot in that latter matchday depending on results.
OFC set to join the party
Oceania are the most advanced confederation in terms of qualifiers with just three games left to play and four teams battling it out for a World Cup berth. The final game of the third stage of qualifying takes place on 24 March, with the winner earning the confederation’s first guaranteed spot to a World Cup. They could also become the first non-host nation to qualify for World Cup 26, if Japan slip up.
The first semi-final sees New Caledonia and Tahiti go head to head for a spot in the final, while the other side of the draw includes two-time World Cup qualifiers New Zealand, who will face off against Fiji. The two matches are scheduled for 21 March.
Argentina look to secure chance at World Cup defence
Given their lead at the summit of CONMEBOL qualifying, current world champions Argentina look well on course for a spot at the 2026 finals. Lionel Messi and Co lead the 10-team group of South American teams vying for a World Cup spot with 25 points – five clear of nearest challengers Uruguay. The top six teams are guaranteed a place at the World Cup, with Argentina 12 points clear of seventh-placed Bolivia.
Lionel Scaloni’s team can officially secure their World Cup qualification in the second of their two March qualifiers. While official dates are yet to be set for those matches, the reigning two-time Copa America champions will travel to Uruguay, before welcoming arch-rivals Brazil to town where they will look to secure a 14th straight World Cup berth.
Across the globe
Africa
After a nine-month break, African qualifiers resume in March. However, we won’t have any confirmed participants until June. Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Sudan are currently the only teams to have opened up at least a two-point gap at the top of their groups.
North America, Central America and the Caribbean
The Concacaf teams will not resume their qualifiers until June. Currently, only Honduras, Suriname and Costa Rica have opened up a gap of at least two points at the top of their respective groups, meaning it’s all to play for across the region.
Europe
No UEFA side will be booking their spot at the tournament for the time being, with European qualifying only getting under way in March, following the preliminary draw in December. We won’t know which European nations have secured a ticket across the Atlantic until the international break in September at the earliest.
Who will be the last to qualify?
At the end of 2025, we will know 42 of the 48 participants of the next World Cup, with play-offs used to decide the final half dozen.
The FIFA World Cup Play-Off Tournament™ will include the teams that finish in the play-off berths from five of the six confederations: one from each of the AFC, CAF and CONMEBOL confederations, and two from Concacaf. This tournament offers up two more World Cup spots.
Finally, there are the UEFA Play-Offs. These last matches will feature 16 teams who will battle it out for the final four remaining European spots up for grabs.
source
کلاس یوس