The World Cup Line-up Is Complete - Here's What You Need To Know

ByCiaran Varley

BBC Sport journalist

ByAdwaidh Rajan

BBC Sport journalist

The last six nations person qualified for nan 2026 World Cup, completing nan expanded 48‑team line‑up for this summer's tournament.

DR Congo and Iraq were nan past 2 teams to book their places successful nan 23rd version of nan World Cup to beryllium held successful nan United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July.

It rounded disconnected a marathon qualification process that began successful September 2023 and spanned six confederations earlier culminating successful nan high‑stakes Uefa and intercontinental play‑offs connected 31 March.

The last 4 European teams were confirmed connected Tuesday, pinch nan large news being that four-time winners Italy were knocked retired by Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Czech Republic, Turkey and Sweden besides qualified.

DR Congo and Iraq booked their spot pinch wins complete Jamaica and Bolivia respectively.

Of nan 48 teams participating, nan 3 hosts qualified automatically while 43 places were earned via nonstop qualification from nan confederations and 2 spots were wished by intercontinental play-offs.

With nan afloat formed confirmed, attraction now shifts towards nan biggest World Cup staged.

A grounds 48 nations - up from nan 32 that featured successful Qatar 4 years agone - will return portion successful nan 2026 edition, making it nan largest World Cup field, pinch 104 matches to beryllium played crossed 3 countries for nan first time.

It will return spot successful 16 cities - 11 successful nan US, 3 successful Mexico and 2 successful Canada - betwixt 11 June and 19 July.

The tourney will besides past a grounds 39 days - an summation from 29 days successful Qatar and 32 successful 2014 and 2018 - and a caller format features 12 groups of four.

Mexico will look South Africa successful Mexico City's Estadio Azteca to unfastened nan tourney connected Thursday, 11 June - 18 days aft nan conclusion of nan Premier League season.

The apical 2 teams from nan 12 groups and nan 8 champion third‑placed nations will beforehand into an expanded knockout shape that will statesman pinch a information of 32.

The caller world champion will beryllium crowned astatine New Jersey's MetLife Stadium connected 19 July.

With games taking spot crossed 4 clip zones and astatine locations up to 2,800 miles apart, location will beryllium a full of 13 different kick-off times.

That intends for viewers successful Europe, immoderate games will beryllium played from midnight onwards.

For example, each 5 of nan group-stage matches successful Kansas City will return spot successful nan mediate of nan nighttime UK time, pinch nan earliest kick-off being 00:00 BST connected Friday, 26 June for Tunisia against nan Netherlands while nan latest is simply a 03:00 BST commencement for Algeria versus Austria connected Sunday, 28 June.

The San Francisco Bay Area hosts 2 games that will footwear disconnected astatine 05:00 BST - Austria versus Jordan connected Tuesday, 16 June and Turkey versus Paraguay connected Friday, 19 June.

There are besides 05:00 BST games successful Vancouver - Australia versus Turkey on Saturday, 13 June - and successful Guadalupe, Mexico, erstwhile Tunisia return connected Japan connected Saturday, 20 June.

In full location will beryllium 35 group-stage games that kick-off betwixt 00:00 BST and 05:00 BST, which is almost half of nan 72 fixtures for that stage.

However, nan astir communal kick-off clip is 20:00 BST, pinch 12 group-stage games taking spot then.

England - Group L

Wed, 17 June v Croatia - Dallas astatine 21:00 (15:00 local)

Tue, 23 June v Ghana - Boston astatine 21:00 (16:00 local)

Sat, 27 June v Panama - New Jersey astatine 22:00 (17:00 local)

Scotland - Group C

Sun, 14 June v Haiti - Boston astatine 02:00 (21:00 local)

Fri, 19 June v Morocco - Boston astatine 23:00 (18:00 local)

Wed, 24 June v Brazil - Miami astatine 23:00 (18:00 local)

All times BST unless stated

European champions Spain are nan favourites, having enjoyed an almost flawless way done qualification.

Their squad is packed pinch talent specified arsenic Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi, 2024 Ballon d'Or victor Rodri and Lamine Yamal, who is 1 of nan champion young players successful nan world.

Just down Spain, this procreation of England players is tipped to onshore immoderate silverware, having vanished runners-up astatine nan past 2 Euros.

Thomas Tuchel's squad qualified for nan World Cup pinch a cleanable record, winning each of their matches without conceding a goal. They person a squad brimming pinch large names including Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.

France are besides beardown contenders. Didier Deschamps' squad person a fearsome beforehand line, including Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe and Hugo Ekitike, and nan 2022 runners-up were unbeaten successful European qualifying.

Defending World Cup champions Argentina won nan South American qualifying group by a large margin, finishing 9 points up of second-placed Ecuador.

With 2 Copa Americas and 1 World Cup triumph successful conscionable 4 years, nan Albiceleste are looking strong.

Finally, despite an underwhelming qualification run - successful which they vanished 5th successful nan Conmebol array aft losing six of their 18 matches - and winning nan past of their grounds 5 World Cups 22 years ago, who would confidently norm retired Brazil?

ByMichael Emons

BBC Sport journalist

Norway person not played successful nan World Cup since 1998 and person ne'er sewage past nan past 16, but pinch Manchester City's Erling Haaland scoring 16 goals successful qualifying, they could beryllium a astonishment successful nan summer.

They were flawless successful qualifying, winning each 8 of their matches, including location and distant victories complete four-time winners Italy.

Morocco were different broadside to triumph each of their qualifying games and they beryllium eighth successful nan world rankings. They reached nan last of this year's Africa Cup of Nations and, contempt being beaten 1-0 by Senegal, they person been controversially awarded nan title. They will apt beryllium assured of advancing from a group that contains Brazil, Scotland and Haiti.

Egypt, featuring Mohamed Salah, will besides expect to make it beyond a group that includes Belgium, New Zealand and Iran.

Japan are nan strongest of nan Asian sides and cruised done qualifying, conceding only 3 goals successful 16 matches. And they recorded their first triumph complete England pinch a 1-0 friends triumph astatine Wembley astatine nan extremity of March. They will beryllium up against nan Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden.

Colombia will beryllium assured of a strongshowing aft a bully South American qualifying run successful which they hit some Brazil and Argentina arsenic they vanished 3rd overall.

What astir nan big nations? Well, Canada, successful their 3rd finals, could beryllium a surprise. They person mislaid each six of their erstwhile World Cup finals matches, but a benignant tie has them successful pinch Qatar, Switzerland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Four nations are group to make their World Cup debut this summer.

The mini Caribbean land of Curacao will go nan smallest federation to participate successful a World Cup erstwhile they return connected Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador successful Group E.

Curacao, 37 miles disconnected nan Venezuela coast, has a organization of a small much than 150,000 (similar to Cambridge aliases Huddersfield) and a onshore area of 171 quadrate miles, smaller than nan Isle of Man.

They only became a state wrong nan Kingdom of nan Netherlands successful 2010.

Cape Verde, meanwhile, are nan third-smallest federation aft Curacao and Iceland to scope nan World Cup. The Blue Sharks secured apical spot successful their qualifying group up of African heavyweights Cameroon.

An archipelago of 10 islands successful nan Atlantic Ocean pinch a organization of less than 525,000, Cape Verde gained independency from Portugal successful 1975 and first attempted to scope nan World Cup erstwhile it was held successful Japan and South Korea successful 2002. They look Spain, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay successful Group H

There are 2 debutants from Asia successful Uzbekistan and Jordan.

The Uzbeks, who were nan Asian Cup semi-finalists successful 2011, ended their agelong hold for qualification nether 2006 World Cup-winning Italy skipper Fabio Cannavaro.

The White Wolves boast players specified arsenic Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov and erstwhile Roma striker Eldor Shomurodov and will dream to make an effect successful a group featuring Portugal, Colombia and DR Congo.

Jordan, meanwhile, vanished down South Korea pinch 4 wins and 4 draws from 10 matches successful nan 3rd information of nan qualifiers successful Asia.

Ranked 64th successful nan world, their advancement has been steady, reaching nan last of nan 2023 Asian Cup, erstwhile they were beaten by hosts Qatar. Argentina, Algeria and Austria await successful Group J.