FIFA World Cup 2026: Argentina Defeats Brazil to Secure Qualification; Complete List of Qualified Teams
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Bolivia’s 0-0 draw against Uruguay in the 13th round of the CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup cemented a spot in the tournament for defending world champions Argentina. Now guaranteed to finish in the automatic top six that qualify through to the extended 48-team draw, Argentina became the seventh team to book their spot in the marquee tournament in North America.
Outside of the three host nations for this first-of-its-scale mega World Cup — Mexico, Canada, and the USA — here are the four nations who have so far booked their places in the 2026 showpiece.
Japan
The qualification process for the World Cup organized by the Asian Football Confederation resembles a challenging tournament format. The current third round will see six teams secure direct entry into the World Cup finals, with an additional three teams qualifying through a subsequent fourth round later this year.
Japan, the highest-ranked team in Asia, has already secured its place as the first non-host nation. They remain unbeaten in Group C of the qualification process and are leading the group with ease. The Blue Samurai are poised to participate in their eighth consecutive World Cup.
Iran
The second team from the AFC to secure their spot in North America next year is Iran, which leads Group A. Iran has emerged as a dominant force in Asia, consistently improving each year since they became regular participants in the World Cup. Will Inter Milan striker Mehdi Taremi be able to guide this team to their first knockout stage appearance in the tournament?
New Zealand
This year marks the inaugural occasion that the Oceanian Football Confederation has been awarded a direct entry into the World Cup finals, a significant change from the past when the champions had to compete in an inter-confederation playoff. New Zealand has been a dominant force in the OFC for many years, and the All Whites will undoubtedly appreciate this more straightforward path to the main tournament.
Guided by the impressive Chris Wood, who has been enjoying a standout season with Nottingham Forest, New Zealand decisively defeated Fiji 7-0 in the semifinal during this international break.
In the final match against New Caledonia, which determined the recipient of the direct spot, New Zealand faced little resistance, winning comfortably 3-0 at the renowned Eden Park in Auckland, thus making history.
Argentina
Argentina has recently secured its qualification for the World Cup. As the smallest confederation, South America employs a simple single round-robin league stage format. Argentina currently leads this group stage, holding an eight-point advantage with four matches remaining.
Lionel Scaloni’s squad marked their qualification with an impressive 4-1 victory over Brazil, achieved even in the absence of Lionel Messi. Their prospects for consecutive titles appear quite promising.
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