By Martin Graham
Australia, Brazil, and Ecuador have joined the list of countries heading to the 2026 World Cup, with 13 of the 48 participating nations now confirmed. The Socceroos secured their place with a 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. Despite the home side taking the lead through Abdulrahman Al Obud, goals from Connor Metcalfe and Mitchell Duke turned the match around and guaranteed Australia’s qualification.
Brazil followed shortly after with a narrow 1-0 win against Paraguay, courtesy of a goal from Vinicius Jr. That result continued Brazil’s flawless record of appearing at every edition of the World Cup. Ecuador, who are currently second in the South American standings ahead of Brazil, sealed their qualification with a 0-0 draw against Peru.
The Saudi team, despite the defeat, will have another opportunity to qualify. They move into the next Asian qualifying round, needing to finish first in a three-team group that will include two of the following: Iraq, Indonesia, UAE, Qatar, and Oman. Oman stayed in contention thanks to a late penalty in stoppage time that drew their match with Palestine.
Among the teams already confirmed, Uzbekistan and Jordan have reached the World Cup for the first time in their history. Uzbekistan, ranked 57th globally and with a population of 36 million, played their first official match as an independent nation in 1992 after leaving the Soviet Union. Although they have qualified for every Asian Cup since 1996, previous World Cup bids ended in disappointment – most notably in 2006, when a replayed playoff match against Bahrain cost them a spot.
Jordan, ranked 62nd, had never made it past the final stages of qualifying before. Their best attempt came in 2014, when they were eliminated by Uruguay in an intercontinental playoff. This time, a 3-0 victory over Oman, combined with South Korea’s 2-0 success against Iraq, ensured Jordan’s historic qualification.
In the South American qualifiers, six teams go directly to the finals, with a seventh earning a place in the intercontinental playoffs. Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador have confirmed qualification with two matches still remaining. Uruguay, Colombia, and Paraguay currently hold the remaining direct qualification spots, while Venezuela sits in the playoff position.
Asian qualifying grants eight direct spots and one playoff berth. Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Jordan, and Australia are already through. One more group phase remains, with the remaining teams – UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Indonesia, Oman, and Saudi Arabia – competing for the final automatic spots and a place in the intercontinental round.
New Zealand has already claimed Oceania’s automatic berth after a 3-0 win over New Caledonia. The runner-up, New Caledonia, will enter the intercontinental playoffs scheduled for March 2026. These playoffs will include teams from four other confederations.
Elsewhere, no African or European teams have yet qualified. In Africa, the group winners from nine pools will progress, with the best second-place teams competing for one playoff place. Europe offers 16 total places, with 12 group winners qualifying directly and the rest determined through a separate playoff format, including UEFA Nations League contenders. Europe’s qualifying campaign began in March and concludes in November 2025, with additional playoffs to follow in 2026.
