Iraq’s qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has completed the lineup of 48 teams set to compete in the tournament hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The Lions of Mesopotamia secured their place after edging Bolivia 2–1 on Tuesday in the second final of the FIFA Playoff tournament held in Mexico. In the earlier final, the Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated Jamaica 1–0 to also book their spot.
Elsewhere, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden and Czechia claimed the remaining European qualification places, completing the continent’s allocation for the expanded tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, featuring 48 nations instead of the traditional 32, with 104 matches scheduled across 16 venues in the three host countries.
Defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi in Qatar 2022, will aim to retain their crown. Several nations, including Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, will make their debut on football’s biggest stage.
The opening match will take place on June 11 in Mexico City, with Mexico facing South Africa in a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener.
- Group A: Mexico South Korea South Africa Czechia
- Group B: Canada Switzerland Qatar Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Group C: Brazil Morocco Scotland Haiti
- Group D: USA Australia Paraguay Turkiye
- Group E: Germany Ecuador Ivory Coast Curacao
- Group F: Netherlands Japan Tunisia Sweden
- Group G: Belgium Iran Egypt New Zealand
- Group H:Spain Uruguay Saudi Arabia Cape Verde
- Group I: France Senegal Norway Iraq
- Group J: Argentina Austria Algeria Jordan
- Group K: Portugal Colombia Uzbekistan DRC
- Group L: England Croatia Panama Ghana
The expanded format marks a significant shift for the tournament, increasing global representation and introducing new teams to football’s most prestigious competition.
