Forty-two national teams have already secured their place, and another 22 will enter a playoff for the remaining six spots at the next World Cup. All of them will be watching closely when the draw is held on Friday the 5th in Washington, D.C.
So while some still have a path to the sport’s premier tournament, others are already out – and some of those eliminated feature stars such as Jan Oblak, Dominik Szoboszlai, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen. The list could grow even more dramatic if a major side like Italy fails to survive the playoff.
African teams eliminated
Across Africa, two absences stand out above the rest: Cameroon and Nigeria. Cameroon, with players such as André Onana and Etta Eyong, went out after a 1–0 loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria also fell to the same opponent on penalties. That means the squad led by forward Victor Osimhen will miss the 2026 World Cup as well.
In the Americas, the only surprise relative to the last World Cup is Costa Rica’s absence. But several storied sides once again won’t be there: Chile and Peru. After producing a strong generation of players, neither country has managed the reset required to compete at this level.
In Europe, every World Cup cycle brings hand-wringing as another powerhouse risks missing out. Yet it’s become common because of the sheer competitive depth across the continent. In this cycle, Hungary, Slovenia and Georgia have been the biggest surprises so far – with the playoff still to come.
Italy awaits the playoff
Some major national teams still haven’t secured their place: Sweden, Denmark, Ireland... but none face a scenario quite like Italy. The group coached by Gennaro Gattuso could miss the tournament for a third consecutive time, having not appeared since Brazil 2014.
To reach next year’s event in Mexico, the United States and Canada, Italy must first beat Northern Ireland and then, in the final, defeat the winner of Wales vs. Bosnia. Reaching the World Cup is no simple task. With today’s heightened demands and competitive balance, every team needs to perform at the highest level to earn a place in the sport’s greatest national competition.