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In around one month, soccer players from all over the world will be converging on the United States, Mexico and Canada as the greatest spectacle in footballing history kicks off in front of literally billions of TV viewers and a whole lot more fanatical supporters who’ll watch matches live through June and early July.
Donald Trump has urged us all to call the 2026 FIFA World Cup “football” instead of “soccer” in line with making this 48-team tournament a truly international event. To get suitably into the spirit of the party on June 11, we’ll do that (for the month) and also take this chance to familiarize ourselves with the international squads, their chances and their star players. What follows is a ranked list (from least to most favored) of all the participating countries.
48. Curaçao
Curaçao is a small Caribbean island country of under 200,000 people, famous for its bitter citrus-based liqueur of the same name, and is the smallest nation to qualify for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
Coach: Fred Rutten (Netherlands)
Star player: Tahith Chong (Sheffield United, England)
47. Haiti
Ranked 85th in the world, Haiti has qualified for the FIFA World Cup twice (1974 and 2026) and is the only Caribbean nation to have done so, despite its coach never having been to the Caribbean island during 2026 qualifying.
Coach: Sébastien Migné (France)
Star player: Duckens Nazon (Esteghlal, Persian Gulf)
46. New Zealand
New Zealand’s All Whites are hardly as recognizable as the All Blacks, the powerful national rugby union equivalents. However, the squad did qualify as Oceania zone representatives for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where it’ll join Belgium, Egypt and potentially Iran.
Coach: Darren Bazeley (New Zealand)
Star player: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest, England)
45. Cape Verde
Cape Verde will appear in the finals of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2026. On 13 October 2025, they qualified for the finals for the first time after a 3–0 victory over Eswatini.
Coach: Pedro Leitão Brito “Bubista” (Cape Verde)
Star player: Logan Costa (Villarreal, Spain)
44. Jordan
Jordan secured its place at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on 5 June 2025 in the third round of the
AFC qualifiers. FIFA World Cup 2026 will be Jordan’s first appearance at the tournament. Jordan will compete in Group J at the FIFA World Cup 2026, where it will face Algeria, Argentina and Austria.
Coach: Jamal Sellami (Morocco)
Star player: Yazan Al-Arab (FC Seoul, South Korea)
43. Iraq
Iraq was the last team to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating Bolivia in the Play-Off Tournament at Monterrey Stadium, Mexico, to earn the final spot in Group I alongside France, Senegal and Norway.
Coach: Graham Arnold (Australia)
Star player: Mohanad “Mimi” Ali (Dibba, UAE)
42. Saudi Arabia
The Saudi national football team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a goalless draw against Iraq at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. More than 60,000 spectators created a celebratory atmosphere over Saudi Arabia’s seventh time qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.
Coach: Georgios Donis (Greece)
Star player: Salem Al-Dawsari (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia)
41. South Africa
South Africa’s Bafana Bafana upset the world rankings by securing their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a stunning 3–0 win over Rwanda to top CAF Group C. This feat marked a historic comeback, beating Nigeria in the group to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 2010, when it was the tournament host.
Coach: Hugo Broos (Belgium)
Star player: Lyle Foster (Burnley, England)
40. Ghana
Ghana secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by finishing first in its group and achieving eight wins and one loss across its 10 matches. A 1-0 win over the Comoros, with a goal by Mohammed Kudus, sealed the top spot and secured Ghana’s place at the June tournament.
Coach: Carlos Queiroz (Portugal)
Star Player: Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham, England)
39. Qatar
Qatar qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2026, having automatically qualified as host four years ago. It sealed its place this time after a tense 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates in the Asian qualifying playoffs at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on October 14.
Coach: Julen Lopetegui (Spain)
Star player: Akram Afif (Al-Sadd, Qatar)
38. Uzbekistan
In 2026, Uzbekistan will play in its first-ever FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Central Asian country to qualify for the tournament. The Asian minnows will take on Colombia, Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group K.
Coach: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
Star player: Abdukordir Khusanov (Man. City, England)
37. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in dramatic fashion, eliminating favored Italy on penalties in the playoff earlier this spring. The squad’s first World Cup match is against Canada on June 12 in Toronto, after which it faces Switzerland and Qatar in its other group matches.
Coach: Sergej Barbarez (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Star player: Ermedin Demirovic (Stuttgart, Germany)
36. Tunisia
Tunisia became the second African side to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, following North African rivals Morocco. Shortly thereafter, the Carthage Eagles wrapped up an exceptional World Cup 2026 campaign by defeating Namibia 3–0 in Rades, finishing qualifying with 28 points out of a possible 30.
Coach: Sabri Lamouchi (France)
Star player: Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien, Tunisia)
35. Panama
For the second time in its history, Panama will be appearing at the FIFA World Cup in 2026. Los Canaleros reached the year’s global showpiece in North America after winning Group A of the third round of Concacaf qualifying.
Coach: Thomas Christiansen (Denmark)
Star player: Amir Murillo (Besiktas, Türkiye)
34. DR Congo
DR Congo officially booked its place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 1-0 victory over Jamaica in a dramatic Inter-Confederation Play-Offs. Axel Tuanzebe’s extra-time goal sent DR Congo to its first World Cup in 52 years at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico on 1 April 2026.
Coach: Sebastien Desabre (France)
Star player: Yoane Wissa (Newcastle, England)
33. Czechia
Czechia took the final qualifying spot for the FIFA World Cup 202 after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Denmark in the UEFA play-off final, securing its first return to the global showpiece since Germany in 2006. Czechia initially overcame the Republic of Ireland on spot-kicks in their semi-final, before again holding its nerve from 12 yards with a 3-1 success against the Danes.
Coach: Miroslav Koubek (Czechia)
Star player: Patrick Schick (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
32. Scotland
For the first time since 1998, Scotland’s Tartan Army will march to a FIFA World Cup match. On 18 November 2025, the Scots scored two stoppage-time goals to seal an unlikely 4-2 win over Denmark and a place in the main draw against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.
Coach: Steve Clarke (Scotland)
Star player: Scott McTominay (Napoli, Italy)
31. Iran
The Iranian football team is down to play in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside Egypt, New Zealand and Belgium. With international tensions and, at times, all-out war between the U.S. and Iran, doubts persist over the latter’s participation. However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed the country’s presence at the tournament on several occasions.
Coach: Amir Ghalenoei (Iran)
Star player: Mehdi Taremi (Olympiacos, Greece)
30. Australia
Australia secured its sixth successive World Cup appearance on 10 June 2025, following a 2-1 comeback win over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. The Socceroos will compete with the co-hosts, the U.S., Paraguay and Türkiye in Group D.
Coach: Tony Popovic (Australia)
Star player: Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli, Germany)
29. Paraguay
The expanded format of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying guaranteed that six nations from the CONMEBOL region qualified automatically for the finals, with Paraguay claiming the additional final automatic berth. In Asunción, Paraguay held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw to reach the 25 points needed to lock down sixth place.
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro (Argentina)
Star player: Omar Alderete (Sunderland, England)
28. Egypt
Egypt qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the fourth time in its history. Despite its success at the continental level, it has yet to win any of its World Cup group fixtures to date. The Pharaohs secured top spot in CAF Qualifying Group A with a game to spare, and Mohamed Salah scored nine times in qualifying.
Coach: Hossam Hassan (Egypt)
Star player: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England)
27. South Korea
South Korea will make its 11th straight appearance in the FIFA World Cup in 2026 with the United States, Canada and Mexico serving as co-hosts. Only Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy and Spain have had longer streaks of consecutive trips to the FIFA masterpiece.
Coach: Hong Myung-bo (South Korea)
Star player: Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC, United States)
26. Canada
Canada will host the men’s FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history. In 2015, the nation hosted a record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup, proving its credentials for hosting prestigious sporting events. Canada has qualified for two World Cup finals in its past — in 1986 in Mexico and in Qatar 2022. 2026 will be pivotal in shaping a lasting legacy for Canadian football.
Coach: Jesse Marsch (United States)
Star player: Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal, Spain)
25. Algeria
After missing out on the 2018 and 2022 FIFA finals, Algeria sealed a return to the World Cup, with Mohamed Amoura and Riyad Mahrez playing key roles in a 3-0 away qualifying win over Somalia. Les Fennecs will now participate in a fifth World Cup, after reaching the knock-out phase and bowing out 2-1 in extra time to Germany in 2014.
Coach: Vladimir Petkovic (Bosnian)
Star player: Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli, Saudi-Arabia)
24. Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Seychelles 7-0 on 11 October 2025, maintaining its unbeaten streak in the qualifiers. This year marks the nation’s first World Cup appearance since 2014. The reigning African champions, the Elephants, will compete in global finals for the fourth time.
Coach: Emerse Faé (Ivory Coast)
Star player: Amad Diallo (Man. Utd., England)
23. Sweden
Sweden bounced back from a horrendous display in UEFA qualifying by finally punching their ticket to the global showpiece. The Scandinavians finished bottom of Group B in the European preliminaries, failing to win any of their qualifiers. It was only when Graham Potter replaced Jon Dahl Tomasson as coach in October 2025 that Sweden defeated Ukraine and then Poland to reach the global finals.
Coach: Graham Potter (England)
Star player: Alexander Isak (Liverpool, England)
22. Austria
Austria will be playing in its eighth FIFA World Cup finals and making its first appearance since 1998 after edging past Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania to claim top spot in Group H. The country’s best World Cup result to date came in 1954, when it finished third, followed by fourth place in 1934. Buoyed by impressive performances under head coach Ralf Rangnick, Austria could once again cause a sensation in 2026.
Coach: Ralf Rangnick (Germany)
Star Player: Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
21. Ecuador
Ecuador will appear at its fifth FIFA World Cup and a second in a row, having featured at Qatar 2022. Led by a host of young stars, Ecuador finished second in the South American World Cup qualifiers, just behind Argentina, the world champions and table-toppers.
Coach: Sebastián Beccacece (Argentina)
Star player: Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea, England)
20. Türkiye
Türkiye finished second to Spain in UEFA World Cup qualifying, a result all but cemented after losing 6-0 at home to the Iberians on matchday two. With the likes of young guns Kenan Yildiz and Arda Güler, as well as the experienced Hakan Çalhanoğlu in the team, Türkiye made it through the European play-offs with victories over Romania and Kosovo. It will now fancy its chances of going far in North America.
Coach: Vincenzo Montella (Italy)
Star player: Arda Güler (Real Madrid, Spain)
19. Mexico
Mexico will become the first country to host or co-host three World Cups this year, with El Tricolor gearing up for its 18th campaign at the global extravaganza. Mexico qualified as co-hosts alongside Canada and the USA for 2026. It will face South Africa in the first match of the tournament, a repeat of the opening fixture of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Coach: Javier Aguirre (Mexico)
Star player: Raúl Jiménez (Fulham, England)
18. Switzerland
Switzerland secured its spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in November 2025 by finishing first in UEFA Group B with an unbeaten record of 4 wins and 2 draws, marking its sixth consecutive appearance at the tournament. The team scored 14 goals and conceded only two across its six matches.
Coach: Murat Yakin (Switzerland)
Star player: Granit Xhaka (Sunderland, England)
17. Japan
Japan became the first nation other than the three hosts to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It secured its spot in March 2025 by winning its AFC third-round qualifying group, marking its eighth consecutive appearance at the tournament. The Samurai Blue sealed the spot with three games to spare in its group.
Coach: Hajime Moriyasu (Japan)
Star player: Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion, England)
16. United States
The United States automatically qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a co-host nation, alongside Canada and Mexico. As of May 2026, the USMNT is preparing for the tournament, which will feature across 11 U.S. cities and marks the country’s 12th World Cup appearance. The squad will look to improve on its round-of-16 finish at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Coach: Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina)
Star player: Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, Italy)
15. Norway
Norway qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking their first appearance in the tournament since 1998. It secured a spot by winning UEFA Qualifying Group I with a perfect record, finishing ahead of Italy. Norway won all eight of its qualifying matches in Group I, finishing with a 100% record, with Erling Haaland scoring 16 goals.
Coach: Ståle Solbakken (Norway)
Star player: Erling Haaland (Man. City, England)
14. Uruguay
Under coach Marcelo Bielsa, Uruguay officially qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in September 2025. It finished fourth in the CONMEBOL standings, marking its fifth consecutive World Cup appearance. Uruguay will play Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde and Spain in the group stage.
Coach: Marcelo Bielsa (Argentina)
Star player: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Spain)
13. Croatia
Croatia is heading back to the FIFA World Cup for the seventh time in its history and a fourth edition in succession. Zlatko Dalic’s side, third in 2022 and beaten finalists by France in 2018, are back at the global showpiece after topping Group L in UEFA qualifying. Veteran captain Luka Modric will likely still pull the strings from midfield as Croatia looks to defy their population size yet again.
Coach: Zlatko Dalic (Croatia)
Star player: Joško Gvardiol (Man. City, England)
12. Senegal
Senegal qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA, marking a third consecutive appearance and fourth overall. It secured the spot in October 2025 by winning Group B of the CAF qualification with a perfect, undefeated record (7 wins, 3 draws) and sealing it with an emphatic 4-0 win over Mauritania.
Coach: Pape Thiaw (Senegal)
Star player: Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr, Saudi Arabia)
11. Colombia
Colombia qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in September 2025, securing its spot following a successful CONMEBOL qualification campaign that included a 3-0 victory over Bolivia on September 4, 2025. Finishing third with 28 points, the team featured key performances from players such as James Rodríguez and Luis Díaz and marks its seventh World Cup appearance since 1990.
Coach: Néstor Lorenzo (Argentina)
Star player: Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich, Germany)
10. Morocco
Morocco became the first African nation to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 5-0 win over Niger on September 5, 2025. Topping its CAF qualifying Group E with a perfect record, this achievement marked its third consecutive World Cup appearance and seventh overall.
Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi (Belgium)
Star player: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
9. Belgium
Belgium finished its FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign unbeaten to book its ticket to the tournament in North America. It secured its spot as the winners of UEFA Group J, marking its fourth consecutive World Cup qualification. Based in Renton, Washington, Belgium will play Egypt, Iran and New Zealand in the group stage.
Coach: Rudi Garcia (France)
Star player: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Spain)
8. Germany
Germany qualified directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as European Group A winner, winning all its remaining matches after a shock initial loss to Slovakia. It ultimately qualified by avenging its initial loss to Slovakia with a 6-0 victory over the same opposition in its final qualifying match. Germany will appear in its 19th consecutive World Cup, looking to add a fifth title to its prestigious history.
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann (Germany)
Star player: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool, England)
7. Netherlands
The Netherlands has qualified for 11 of the 22 FIFA World Cup tournaments, with a record of three tournament final appearances without yet winning the tournament. The Dutch have never lost a World Cup match in regular time by more than one goal, with its 2014 and 2022 campaigns both ending in defeat by penalty shoot-out at the hands of Argentina. 2026 qualifying went unbeaten through group play.
Coach: Ronald Koeman (Netherlands)
Star player: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, England)
6. Portugal
Portugal officially qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as winners of UEFA Group F. It secured its spot on November 16, 2025, with a 9-1 victory over Armenia, marking a seventh consecutive appearance and ninth overall at the tournament. Should talisman Cristiano play, he will appear in his sixth tournament. Should he score, he will be the first male player to score in six finals competitions.
Coach: Roberto Martínez (Spain)
Star player: Bruno Fernandes (Man. Utd., England)
5. Brazil
Brazil qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 1-0 win over Paraguay on June 10, 2025, in São Paulo, scored by Vinícius Júnior. Under new coach Carlo Ancelotti, the victory secured the country’s spot in CONMEBOL’s top six, maintaining its record as the only nation to qualify for every tournament since 1930.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti (Italy)
Star player: Raphinha (Barcelona, Spain)
4. Argentina
The defending champion secured its spot early, finishing atop the CONMEBOL qualification standings with 38 points (12 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses). Argentina features in Group J of the tournament, alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan. Lionel Messi is expected to lead the team, with a possible replacement needed amid a potential suspension for defender Nicolás Otamendi.
Coach: Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
Star player: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Italy)
3. England
England secured its spot for the North American showpiece with a 5-0 win over Latvia on October 14, 2025. Under coach Thomas Tuchel, the team went unbeaten in UEFA Group K, winning its qualifying matches without conceding a goal. The Three Lions, with many top players at EPL clubs, will play Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L of the June tournament.
Coach: Thomas Tuchel (Germany)
Star player: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, Germany)
2. Spain
Spain secured top spot in UEFA Group E World Cup qualifying, finishing unbeaten with five wins and a draw, culminating in a 2-2 draw against Türkiye on November 18, 2025. June will mark Spain’s 13th consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup, a streak dating back to 1978. The strong contenders, with representatives from many of the world’s top clubs, will look to regain the title it won in 2010 in South Africa.
Coach: Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
Star player: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
1. France
France celebrated its 17th qualification for a FIFA World Cup by beating Ukraine 4-0 in UEFA Group D in November 2025, securing its spot in the tournament. France was one of the first European teams to secure its place in the tournament in North America, remaining dominant throughout the qualification campaign, in line with the favorites tag many experts have afforded Les Bleus.
Coach: Didier Deschamps (France)
Star player: Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, Spain)
Football Will Be the Ultimate Winner
With over a month of top-class fixtures thrilling supporters from across the globe, there will be no shortage of scintillating fare to entertain the fans. With 48 teams involved, you can expect the odd wide scoreline and other matches that see underdogs pushing outright favorites close. Whatever happens in the long run, the beautiful game of football will come out on top. What colors it will wear still needs to be discovered!
