A football team’s quest to qualify for a major international tournament can take them across the globe, in all sorts of conditions. The process tests a national team’s ability to adapt to diverse playing environments, travel extensively and manage player fatigue. It’s a journey that can be as dramatic as the final match, with moments of glory and heartache along the way.
FIFA divides the world into six continental zones, or confederations: AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONMEBOL (North and Central America and the Caribbean), UEFA (Europe), OFC (Oceania) and South America (CONMEBOL). Each zone has its own qualification structure that ensures balanced competition. The best teams from each zone will receive berths in the World Cup, while the second-ranked teams will advance to intercontinental play-offs.
The 2026 qualification cycle started in March and will conclude with the group winners qualifying directly for the World Cup, while the 12 runners-up will compete in a two-round play-off against each other. This process highlights the uphill struggle that Oceania’s teams, in particular, face in their quest to reach the World Cup, given its geographic size and disparity in footballing standards.
The final spots in the 2026 World Cup are whittled down to just one per region, with three of the four top-ranked nations in CONCACAF securing their places automatically as hosts. Paraguay have an outside chance of crashing into the top six by winning their remaining home games against Ecuador and Bolivia, then taking a point from their trip to Colombia.