How Many Teams Are in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 48 teams — the first expanded edition. Full breakdown of how many teams qualify per confederation and how the new format works.
Updated June 1, 2026
48 teams: the biggest World Cup ever
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams, a 50% increase from the 32-team format that ran from 1998 to 2022. It's the largest edition in the tournament's 96-year history.
Confederation slot breakdown
- AFC (Asia): 8 direct + 1 play-off
- CAF (Africa): 9 direct + 1 play-off
- CONCACAF (North & Central America / Caribbean): 3 automatic host slots + 3 direct + 2 play-off
- CONMEBOL (South America): 6 direct + 1 play-off
- OFC (Oceania): 1 direct + 1 play-off
- UEFA (Europe): 16 direct
Two additional slots go to the winners of an inter-confederation play-off tournament.
How the format works
The 48 teams are drawn into 12 groups of 4. Each team plays three group matches, and the top two from each group automatically qualify for the knockouts. They're joined by the eight best third-placed teams across the 12 groups, giving 32 teams for a new Round of 32 — a knockout round the World Cup has never had before.
Hosts
The 2026 tournament is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada — the first three-nation host in the tournament's history and the largest World Cup by geography.
FAQ
- How many teams are in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
- 48 teams will play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — up from 32 in 2022. It's the largest World Cup in history.
- How many teams qualify from each confederation?
- AFC has 8 direct slots, CAF 9, CONCACAF 6 (including 3 hosts), CONMEBOL 6, OFC 1, UEFA 16, plus 2 slots decided by an inter-confederation play-off.
- Why did FIFA expand the World Cup to 48 teams?
- FIFA voted in 2017 to expand from 32 to 48 teams to give more nations the chance to qualify and grow the global reach of football's biggest tournament.
- Who is hosting the 2026 World Cup?
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada — the first three-nation host in World Cup history.