2026 FIFA World Cup Participants

For the first time in history, 48 teams will take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place from June 11 – July 19. All FIFA World Cup participants will be divided into 12 groups of 4, with 32 advancing to the Round of 32.

Argentina will defend the title, while the last team to win the World Cup in back-to-back editions was Brazil, which did so in 1958 and 1962. 26 teams from the 2022 World Cup will play this year, while 4 teams will play in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history.

Here is all the most important information about the 2026 FIFA World Cup participating teams.

The expanded FIFA World Cup format has opened additional opportunities for weaker teams. Since 1998, the World Cup has featured 32 teams, while in 2026 it will be 48 for the first time.

Four World Cup qualified teams will play in the World Cup for the first time in history: Curacao, Uzbekistan, Jordan and Cape Verde. Qatar first played at the 2022 tournament, but had host status, while this year they qualified for the tournament for the first time through the qualifiers.

Six teams that played at the 2022 World Cup did not qualify for this year’s championship: Cameroon, Costa Rica, Serbia, Wales, Denmark and Poland. Meanwhile, Colombia, Panama, Sweden and Egypt missed the 2022 championship but will compete at the 2026 World Cup.

The biggest disappointment in World Cup qualifying was the Italy national team, which lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties and will miss a third consecutive World Cup. It is worth remembering that Italy became world champions in 2006 and won the UEFA European Championship in 2021.

After the longest absence, DR Congo and Haiti are returning to the tournament. These football World Cup participating countries last played at the world championship in 1974.

Group A teams will play their matches in Mexico City, Zapopan, Atlanta and Guadalupe. Mexico, the hosts, is the main favourite, while South Africa is the clear outsider.

The odds for the World Cup qualified teams to win Group A are: 

Group B teams will play their matches in Toronto, Santa Clara, Inglewood, Vancouver and Seattle. Although Canada is one of the hosts, Switzerland is the favourite in the group. Qatar are the clear outsiders.

The odds at World Cup bookmakers for the teams to win Group B are:

Group C teams will play their matches in East Rutherford, Foxborough, Philadelphia, Miami Gardens and Atlanta. Brazil is the clear favorite in the group, while Haiti is the clear outsider.

The odds for the teams to win Group C are:

Group D teams will play in Inglewood, Vancouver, Seattle and Santa Clara. The host USA is the favorite in the group, although Turkey is given almost the same chances. Australia is seen as the group outsider.

The odds for the teams to win Group D are:

Group E teams will play in Houston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Kansas City and East Rutherford. Germany is the main favorite in the group, while Curacao, which is making its tournament debut, is the group outsider.

The odds for the teams to win Group E are:

Group F teams will play in Arlington, Guadalupe, Houston and Kansas City. The Netherlands is the favorite in the group, while Japan is also expected to reach the next stage. Tunisia is given the lowest chances.

The odds at top betting sites for the teams to win Group F are:

Group G teams will play in Seattle, Inglewood and Vancouver. Belgium is the favorite in the group, while New Zealand is the main outsider.

The odds for the teams to win Group G are:

Group H teams will play in Atlanta, Miami Gardens, Houston and Zapopan. The European champion Spain is the favorite both in the group and in the tournament as a whole. Cape Verde is given the lowest chances of reaching the knockout stage.

The odds for the teams to win Group H are:

Group I teams will play in East Rutherford, Foxborough, Philadelphia and Toronto. France is the favorite in the group, while Iran is given the lowest chances.

The odds for the teams to win Group I are:

Group J teams will play in Kansas City, Santa Clara and Arlington. Argentina team, the defending World Cup champion, is the favorite in the group, while Austria and Algeria are expected to battle for second place.

The odds for the teams to win Group J are:

Group K teams will play in Houston, Mexico City, Zapopan, Miami Gardens and Atlanta. Portugal is the favorite in the group, while Uzbekistan, which is making its World Cup debut, is seen as the group outsider.

The odds for the teams to win Group K are:

Group L teams will play in Arlington, Foxborough, Toronto and East Rutherford. England is projected to finish first in the group, while Panama is the main outsider.

The odds for the teams to win Group K are:

The FIFA World Cup is a sporting event that brings together the entire world. This year, with 48 football World Cup participants playing in the championship, even more will be involved. The increased number of teams also means that more matches will be played.

When placing World Cup bets, we recommend paying attention to these main aspects of the participating teams:

• Argentina are one of the five favourites to win the tournament. Still, the statistics are against Argentina, as the last time a champion successfully defended the title was Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
• In 2022, France ended the unsuccessful run of champions. The Italians, champions in 2006, finished bottom of their group in 2010. The Spanish, champions in 2010, finished 3rd in their group in 2014. The 2014 champions finished 4th in their group in 2018. The 2018 champions reached the final in 2022.
• The top 2 teams from each group and the 8 teams that finish in third place will advance to the knockout stage. Teams will have more motivation in the final matches, as these will determine qualification for the knockout stage.
• The European champions Spain are the main favourites for the World Cup. The other main favourites are England, Brazil, France and Argentina team.
• In the group stage, the tournament favourites do not always show their best form, but the expanded number of teams means that in most groups there is a clear favorite and a World Cup underdog.