International qualifiers are underway across the globe as nations fight for a place in the 2026 World Cup finals. The tournament will feature 48 teams, more than ever before. As the second qualifying window comes to a close, four nations have secured a route to Qatar, with Brazil and Ecuador securing a path from South America.
The qualification system has evolved over the years but, in its basic form, teams compete in zones that roughly correspond to continents. The top-ranked nation in each zone receives an automatic berth to the finals, while the other finalists are determined by a series of group and playoff matches.
Teams are placed into groups of five or six countries, and they play each other home and away. The winner of each group qualifies directly for the finals, while the runners-up enter an inter-confederation playoff for the other two spots.
The first round of qualifiers saw all nations play each other once in a single-round robin. Nations with equal points played off in a play-off match on neutral ground, with extra time and penalties if needed.
The top eight nations advance to the third round, which took place from September through November. The six group winners qualify for the World Cup, while the best runner-up goes into the inter-confederation playoff. A 2-0 defeat for Venezuela in Uruguay allowed Brazil to take seventh spot and secure the playoff berth. That left the door open for North Macedonia, Northern Ireland and Moldova to earn a playoff spot as well.