World Cup qualification roundup: Who's in from each continent?

Who's heading to a playoff? A whopping twelve countries: Italy, Denmark, Turkiye, Ukraine, Poland, Wales, Czechia, Slovakia, Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sweden, Romania, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland. They will only play against each other; the rest of the world's playoff teams will battle in intercontinental matches. Just four will clinch a spot in the tournament finals.

Any surprises there? Kosovo was a wonderful surprise: getting to the European playoffs is pretty good going for a team that played its first official match just 11 years ago.

Italy, meanwhile, was a sad one. It failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and still has a mountain to climb to earn its spot in the 2026 edition.

Asia

Who's in? Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Any surprises there? Not really...but if you haven't been keeping up with Uzbekistan, its inclusion might look questionable. Don't be fooled. It's been one of the most consistent (and most fun) teams in Asia in 2025, and it's ready for its first-ever World Cup challenge.

Who's heading to a playoff? Iraq, after beating the United Arab Emirates 3-2 on aggregate in the final round of qualification.

Any surprises there? Nope. Iraq is wonderful. It more than earned its spot.

Africa

Who's in? Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cabo Verde, South Africa, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Any surprises there? Cabo Verde! The small island nation shocked the African continent by winning its qualification group. (Major League Soccer fans will recognize the Columbus Crew's former Defender of the Year, Steven Moreira, in its back line.)

Who's heading to a playoff? The Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Any surprises there? Yes and no. After making the semifinals of the African Cup of Nations in 2024, most people have high hopes for the DRC...but it did beat Cameroon and Nigeria, two of Africa's best, to clinch its playoff berth.

South America

Who's in? Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Any surprises there? Not really; the only surprise is just how close this region was. Just one point separated Ecuador in second from Paraguay in sixth after 18 games.

Who's heading to a playoff? Bolivia.

Any surprises there? Oh yes. This spot looked like Venezuela's until the very last day of qualification; Bolivia did well to snatch it back.

Oceania

Who's in? New Zealand.

Any surprises there? Absolutely not.

Who's heading to a playoff? New Caledonia.

Any surprises there? Yes! This is New Caledonia's best World Cup performance in history. With a population of just 295,000, it's one of the smallest territories in contention for the tournament, dwarfed only by Curacao.