With the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage draw scheduled for early December, football fans across the Americas turn their attention to the 42 teams that have secured spots in the expanded 48-team tournament. Co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the event marks a historic moment for North America, though Costa Rica’s national team, La Sele, fell short after a scoreless draw against Honduras in their final qualifier last week.
Qualification concluded for most confederations in November, leaving six spots to be decided through playoffs in March 2026. The draw will divide teams into 12 groups of four, with pots organized by the latest FIFA men’s world rankings from November 19. Hosts automatically join Pot 1, alongside the highest-ranked qualified sides. Lower-ranked teams fill subsequent pots, and playoff winners head straight to Pot 4.
CONCACAF claims six direct berths, including the three hosts. Panama earned a direct spot with strong performances, while Curaçao and Haiti surprised many by clinching theirs through consistent results in the hexagonal round. Costa Rica, ranked 48th globally, needed a win over Honduras to advance but settled for a tie, ending their campaign. La Sele’s elimination stings locally, as the team aimed for a seventh World Cup appearance after reaching the quarterfinals in 2014.
Across confederations, Europe leads with 12 direct qualifiers, followed by Africa with nine and Asia with eight. South America sends six, Oceania one, and the rest come from CONCACAF. Defending champions Argentina top South America’s contingent, while Spain, the current world number one, headlines Europe.
Here is the complete list of the 42 qualified teams, grouped by pot, with their current FIFA rankings. Pot 1 teams serve as seeds to avoid early clashes among top sides. The table below outlines the setup:
FIFA World Cup 2026 Pot Rankings
| Pot | Country | FIFA Ranking | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 1 | 1877.18 |
| 1 | Argentina | 2 | 1873.33 |
| 1 | France | 3 | 1870.00 |
| 1 | England | 4 | 1834.12 |
| 1 | Brazil | 5 | 1824.00 |
| 1 | Portugal | 6 | 1815.00 |
| 1 | Netherlands | 7 | 1805.00 |
| 1 | Belgium | 8 | 1798.00 |
| 1 | Germany | 9 | 1790.00 |
| 1 | United States (host) | 12 | 1765.00 |
| 1 | Mexico (host) | 17 | 1700.00 |
| 1 | Canada (host) | 35 | 1520.00 |
| 2 | Croatia | 10 | 1780.00 |
| 2 | Morocco | 11 | 1770.00 |
| 2 | Colombia | 13 | 1755.00 |
| 2 | Uruguay | 14 | 1745.00 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 15 | 1725.00 |
| 2 | Japan | 16 | 1710.00 |
| 2 | Senegal | 18 | 1690.00 |
| 2 | Iran | 19 | 1680.00 |
| 2 | South Korea | 20 | 1670.00 |
| 2 | Ecuador | 21 | 1660.00 |
| 2 | Austria | 22 | 1650.00 |
| 2 | Australia | 23 | 1640.00 |
| 3 | Norway | 24 | 1630.00 |
| 3 | Panama | 25 | 1620.00 |
| 3 | Egypt | 26 | 1610.00 |
| 3 | Algeria | 27 | 1600.00 |
| 3 | Scotland | 28 | 1590.00 |
| 3 | Paraguay | 29 | 1580.00 |
| 3 | Tunisia | 30 | 1570.00 |
| 3 | Ivory Coast | 31 | 1560.00 |
| 3 | Uzbekistan | 32 | 1550.00 |
| 3 | Qatar | 33 | 1540.00 |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 34 | 1530.00 |
| 3 | South Africa | 36 | 1510.00 |
| 4 | Jordan | 37 | 1500.00 |
| 4 | Cape Verde | 38 | 1490.00 |
| 4 | Ghana | 39 | 1480.00 |
| 4 | Curaçao | 40 | 1475.00 |
| 4 | Haiti | 41 | 1470.00 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 42 | 1460.00 |
The remaining six teams will emerge from UEFA’s four playoff winners and two inter-continental playoff victors, involving runners-up from various confederations like Bolivia from South America and Jamaica from CONCACAF. These additions will finalize the field before the tournament kicks off in June 2026.
For us here in Costa Rican, the focus shifts to rebuilding as youth development is emphasized post-elimination. Fans can still look forward to regional rivals in action, with Panama’s solid defense and the hosts’ home advantage adding intrigue to the groups.
The draw promises balanced competition, with Pot 1 seeds like Spain and Argentina favored to advance far. As preparations ramp up, stadiums in Toronto, Guadalajara, and Los Angeles stand ready for the largest World Cup yet.
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