World Cup 2026 field complete as Iraq claim final berth
FIFA’s first 48-team World Cup line-up is complete, with Iraq taking the final spot after the play-offs and the group-stage line-up now confirmed.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is set to become the biggest edition in the tournament’s history and the first to feature 48 teams. FIFA confirmed on April 1 that the full line-up is now complete after Iraq beat Bolivia in the play-off to secure the 48th and final place. The finals will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The confirmed group-stage line-up is as follows.
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic and Czechia.
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland.
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye.
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador.
Group F: the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden and Tunisia.
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, IR Iran and New Zealand.
Group H: Spain, Cabo Verde, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq and Norway.
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
The expansion to 48 nations is expected to give the tournament a broader global reach, more diversity and a bigger stage for emerging teams, with 104 matches due to be played across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
