The World Cup kicks off at the Estadio Azteca in just 204 days, and 42 nations have booked their spots at the newly-expanded tournament. Six spots remain up for grabs in play-offs, as documented below, so here is a complete list of every team heading to the World Cup next summer.
Europe
- England
- France
- Croatia
- Portugal
- Norway
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Belgium
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Scotland
Scotland, Austria and Norway all qualified for a first World Cup since 1998, the latter winning all eight of their qualifiers. Meantime, Germany maintain their record of having reached every World Cup they have entered.
South America
- Argentina
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- Uruguay
- Brazil
- Paraguay
In the expanded format, six of the ten CONMEBOL nations qualify for the World Cup directly. Paraguay will feature at a first edition since 2010, Brazil are the only nation to feature at all 23 World Cups, while Argentina will be looking to retain their title.
Africa
- Morocco
- Tunisia
- Egypt
- Algeria
- Ghana
- Cape Verde
- South Africa
- Senegal
- Côte d'Ivoire
With a population of around 500,000, Cape Verde have become the third-smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup. South Africa will appear at the tournament for the first time since hosting in 2010; the other seven direct entrants have all featured in at least one of the last three World Cups.
North & Central America & the Caribbean
- United States (co-host)
- Mexico (co-host)
- Canada (co-host)
- Curaçao
- Panama
- Haiti
With an estimated population of around 185,000, Curaçao have become the smallest nation to every qualify for the World Cup. Meantime, Haiti have qualified for just a second World Cup, but first since 1974, while Panama's sole appearance to date came in 2018.
Asia
- Japan
- Iran
- Korea Republic
- Uzbekistan
- Jordan
- Australia
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
Uzbekistan and Jordan will make their World Cup debuts next summer, while Qatar have qualified based on sporting merit for the very first time. In contrast, Japan will feature in an eighth successive World Cup, while it'll be 11 in a row for Korea Republic.
Oceania
- New Zealand
For the first time ever, Oceania has one guaranteed World Cup spot. The continent's dominant force New Zealand earned that place, set for their third appearance, after Spain '82 and South Africa 2010.
Inter-confederation play-offs
- New Caledonia
- Bolivia
- DR Congo
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Suriname
The six entrants into the inter-confederation play-offs will be drawn into two play-off paths. The matches will take place in Mexico in March.
European play-offs
The 12 group runners-up, plus 4 teams via UEFA Nations League, will contest the play-offs. They have been placed into 4 pots ahead of the draw.
Pot 1
- Italy
- Denmark
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
Pot 2
- Poland
- Wales
- Czech Republic
- Slovakia
Pot 3
- Republic of Ireland
- Albania
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Kosovo
Pot 4
- Sweden
- Romania
- North Macedonia
- Northern Ireland
The 16 European play-off participants will be drawn into four play-off paths. Each consists of two single-elimination semi-finals and a final, scheduled to take place on 26 & 31 March.
When are the World Cup play-off draws?
The draw for both the inter-confederation play-offs and European World Cup play-offs takes place on Thursday 20 November at 12:00 (GMT) and 7:00 (ET).
When is the World Cup draw?
The draw for the World Cup takes place at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on Friday 5 December at 17:00 (GMT) and 12:00 (ET).