FIFA Reveals the List of Teams Eliminated from World Cup Qualifiers

On Monday, the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) released a report detailing the national teams that failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams, 16 more than the previous seven tournaments, starting from 1998.

Eight teams will qualify directly from Asia, with an additional spot available through intercontinental playoffs. Africa will receive nine direct spots, plus one playoff slot.

For CONCACAF (North, Central America, and the Caribbean), six teams will qualify directly, with two more spots available through playoffs. South America will have six direct spots, plus one playoff spot. Oceania will have one direct spot, along with one playoff opportunity, while Europe will have 16 direct spots.

As for the eliminated teams in the Asian Football Confederation, the list includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Taiwan, Guam, Hong Kong, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, East Timor, Turkmenistan, and Yemen.

Asia has a total of five qualifying rounds to determine the eight direct spots, with one additional team advancing to the playoffs.

In the African Confederation, no teams have been officially eliminated yet. A total of 53 nations are competing in nine groups, with the group winners advancing directly to the World Cup. The top four second-place teams will compete for a playoff spot.

For CONCACAF, the eliminated teams so far are the US Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Canada, Mexico, and the United States automatically qualify as hosts, leaving three direct spots and two playoff possibilities.

In the South American Confederation (CONMEBOL), no team has been officially eliminated from the World Cup qualifiers yet. The qualifiers began on September 7, 2023, and will conclude in September 2025. The top six teams will qualify directly, while the seventh-place team will enter the playoffs.

In Europe, no teams have been officially eliminated, as the qualifiers have yet to begin. They will start in March 2025 and end in March 2026. The 12 group winners will qualify directly, and a playoff tournament between 16 teams will decide the remaining four spots.

For Oceania, the eliminated teams are the Cook Islands, Tonga, and American Samoa. Oceania will have a guaranteed spot in the World Cup for the first time, with the possibility of another spot through the playoffs.