World Cup 2026

[Silver Fox]

Qualified teams so far:
AFC: Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Jordan, South Korea, Japan
CAF: Morocco, Tunisia
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
OFC: New Zealand

Play off teams confirmed so far:
New Caledonia

Cheers Winston, I almost had to have words with Clyde for not upd8ing the list

[Silver Fox]

Although I have a bit of an eye twitch thanks to USA, Canada and Mexico missing the list

[Clyde1998]

Tunisia have qualified for the World Cup. They beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 this evening.

Ghana, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt most likely to confirm their qualification next time round. If you actually want to see different African qualifiers rather than all the usual faces, then look to the runners up playoffs where the likes Gabon and Tanzania are riding high.

Yes - although DR Congo top Group B by a point from Senegal, with three games to go. They host the Lions tonight and a win would see them needing just two points from their last two games to make their first World Cup.

Watching this on FIFA+ at the moment. DR Congo have just gone 2-0 up; would be a massive win for them.

[Sanguine]

I did get that a little wrong earlier - would be their second World Cup, they were of course Zaire back in 1974, when famously a defender charged out of the wall to boot away a direct free kick.

[Clyde1998]

Ghana, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt most likely to confirm their qualification next time round. If you actually want to see different African qualifiers rather than all the usual faces, then look to the runners up playoffs where the likes Gabon and Tanzania are riding high.

Yes - although DR Congo top Group B by a point from Senegal, with three games to go. They host the Lions tonight and a win would see them needing just two points from their last two games to make their first World Cup.

Watching this on FIFA+ at the moment. DR Congo have just gone 2-0 up; would be a massive win for them.

Ended up 3-2 Senegal, which should take them to the finals. Certainly more enjoyable than a lot of European games.

[Clyde1998]

Cape Verde beat Cameroon, to take them within a win of the finals. Danny Namaso (Loader) came off the bench for Cameroon.

South Africa drew 1-1 with Nigeria to put them six clear; Burkina Faso 0-0 Egypt means the visitors are five clear. Each with two matches to play.

Gabon vs Ivory Coast later - Ivory Coast one point clear of their hosts going into it.

[Winston Biscuit]

Venezuela really ballsed up the end of their qualifying.

3 games ago they were looking good for the play off spot. They needed to either win 1 of their last 3 games or hope that Bolivia didn't win 2 of their last 3

Venezuela did lose all 3, managing to concede 6 goals last night to Colombia, while Bolivia did win 2 of their last 3, beating Brazil last night to grab the play off spot

[Sanguine]

Gabon held 0-0 by Ivory Coast, which should be enough for Ivory Coast to qualify - they need to beat only Kenya and Seychelles in their last two games to make sure of it.

Cape Verde beat Cameroon and will likely now qualify for their first World Cup.

DR Congo lost 3-2 to Senegal having been 2-0 up - a result that means they will probably go into playoffs.

Nigeria drew in South Africa and are struggling even to make a playoff spot after Benin's win last night.

[Sanguine]

In Europe, Norway thrashed Moldova 11-1.
Some chap called Erling Haaland got five goals, and now has 48 goals in 45 international caps. Norway's goal difference now so good that even if they lose in Italy in November, they should have enough to top the group and qualify, for what would be Haaland's first major tournament.

Ranger's Thelo Aasgaard, who was actually born in Liverpool, got four of his own, in the last 23 minutes.

[Winston Biscuit]

Either Iraq or UAE join Bolivia and New Caledonia in the Inter Confederations Play Offs (2 spots in the world cup).

3 more places up for grabs

[Winston Biscuit]

Faroe Island have now won 3 competitive games in the last 10 months

giddy times for Faroese football

[Sutekh]

Faroe Island have now won 3 competitive games in the last 10 months

giddy times for Faroese football

Sadly though 2 of those victories were v Gibraltar.

[Sutekh]

I take it the waste of time that is South American World Cup qualifying has now completed giving the same old completely unsurprising names. Such a shame there were not only 4 qualifying spots as Brazil would now be out on GD!

Only real story is how Chile are now so cr@p.

[Sanguine]

I take it the waste of time that is South American World Cup qualifying has now completed giving the same old completely unsurprising names. Such a shame there were not only 4 qualifying spots as Brazil would now be out on GD!

Only real story is how Chile are now so cr@p.

Wonder how FIFA will deal with CONMEBOL in 2030. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay qualify automatically as 'anniversary co-hosts'.

Construction has begun on the enormous Hassan II Stadium in Morocco - another 2030 co-host. This stadium has been 15 years in the planning, and is planned to be the largest football stadium in the world, holding 115,000 fans.

[Sutekh]

I take it the waste of time that is South American World Cup qualifying has now completed giving the same old completely unsurprising names. Such a shame there were not only 4 qualifying spots as Brazil would now be out on GD!

Only real story is how Chile are now so cr@p.

Wonder how FIFA will deal with CONMEBOL in 2030. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay qualify automatically as 'anniversary co-hosts'.

Construction has begun on the enormous Hassan II Stadium in Morocco - another 2030 co-host. This stadium has been 15 years in the planning, and is planned to be the largest football stadium in the world, holding 115,000 fans.

Can’t honestly get behind that. How much money is coming from the Moroccan government in a country not without problems that could probably do with money spent on something of more beneficial return to the population than that will likely be of little use after July 2030.

The demands generated by FIFA and the Olympic Committee really are big issues to countries wanting to host world cups or Olympic events. Even countries with superb football infrastructures already in place would have problems.

[Winston Biscuit]

Ralf Rangnick having to cycle to and from the dugout as he can't walk right now

[Winston Biscuit]

Due to the heat, FIFA are looking to schedule matches to kick off after midnight UK time

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5yqr5rvz3qo

[South Coast Royal]

Due to the heat, FIFA are looking to schedule matches to kick off after midnight UK time

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5yqr5rvz3qo

Do you think that will happen with football being so big in Europe?
I would have expected the organisers to try and fit in with European time zones rather than for any others, including their own.

[Winston Biscuit]

Due to the heat, FIFA are looking to schedule matches to kick off after midnight UK time

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5yqr5rvz3qo

Do you think that will happen with football being so big in Europe?
I would have expected the organisers to try and fit in with European time zones rather than for any others, including their own.

I am sure how you describe it is what we have seen in previous world cups, where they have tried to accommodate European audiences as much as possible.

I guess it may depend on what group you are in and what location.

[Sanguine]

Cape Verde drew 3-3 in Libya, which means the wait to confirm qualification for their first World Cup will go down to the final game, one they should win at home against Eswatini.

Benin top group C on goal difference from South Africa, with two games to go. But they go to Nigeria and Rwanda in their last two games and will probably need to win both to qualify ahead of South Africa. Nigeria need to win their last two games to have any chance of qualification, most likely through playoffs.

Ivory Coast will confirm qualification on Friday by beating Seychelles. Algeria will do the same tomorrow when they beat group minnows Somalia.

Madgascar have had a brilliant qualifying campaign, but will miss out to Ghana, unless Comoros spring a surprise in the final game.