FIFA World Cup 2026 — A tournament reborn as a truly global spectacle

For almost a century, the grand narrative of World Cup participation has been most strongly determined by the two dominant continents, Europe and South America. Of the eighty countries that have participated in the World Cup so far, 34 are from Europe and 10 from South America.

This glass ceiling looks set to shatter in the 2026 edition, where the number of participating teams has been expanded from 32 to 48. As a result, the combined share of European and South American teams will fall below 50 percent for the first time in the tournament’s history.

«We live in the 21st century and we have to shape the World Cup for the 21st century. We have to see football as more than just Europe and South America,» FIFA president Gianni Infantino had said.

A moment in the sun for Africa

Africa, one of the biggest beneficiaries of the expansion, had called the inequality in representation at the World Cup «pathetic» before boycotting the 1966 edition.

The single combined slot for Asia, Africa and Oceania in 1966 has now grown to a total of 18 in the 2026 edition, the largest to date. It could rise to twenty if Iraq, Congo or New Caledonia qualify through the inter-confederation play-offs.

Over the years, Africa has proven to be a strong contender in global football, despite only being awarded a limited number of World Cup berths, with Morocco finishing in fourth place in the most recent edition.

At least nine teams will come from North America, including debutant Cape Verde. A small archipelago off the coast of West Africa, it beat Eswatini to become the second-smallest country in terms of land area and the third-least populous eligible.

There could be another renaissance story from Africa: that of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country, formerly known as Zaire, last competed in the 1974 World Cup – a period marred by disputes over player bonuses and threats against players after a poor performance in the final.

It secured a place in the 2026 inter-confederation play-off by beating African heavyweight Nigeria on penalties and could complete its redemption arc if it beats New Caledonia or Suriname in the play-off final.

«These are proud moments for football in Africa. The main goal is for an African nation to win the World Cup,» Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, said earlier.

“We are absolutely confident that the performance at the World Cup will serve as an important stimulus and accelerator for the very good work being done to increase the quality and global competitiveness of African football.”

Asia – an underestimated chapter

Asia is another overlooked presence at the World Cup, appearing only twice in the knockouts, with its best ever performance – South Korea reaching the 2002 semi-finals – becoming a footnote rather than a headline.

But the expansion has created space for success stories that would otherwise have slipped through the cracks of history.

Uzbekistan, which played its first post-independence international match in 1992, became the first Central Asian country to qualify for the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Jordan, who had not even qualified for the Asian Cup until 2004, completed a dream run to the 2026 World Cup by beating Oman 3-0.

Alongside the usual suspects of Japan, Iran and South Korea, Qatar qualified on merit for the first time, while Iraq is just one step away from making its first World Cup appearance since 1986.

There are more success stories in the 2026 edition. The small Caribbean island of Curaçao became the least populous country ever to qualify for the World Cup. Haiti, notorious for its gang violence, also made it to the tournament without playing a single qualifying match on home soil.

The broader picture

The appeal of playing in a World Cup also offers players the opportunity to represent their country of birth, which would otherwise not be possible with a smaller pool.

Axel Tuanzebe, a former England Under-21 international who also captained Manchester United, failed to break into the Three Lions senior team. He eventually transferred to DR Congo, his native country, in 2023.

This also applied to his United teammate Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who was also born to Congolese parents. Congo is about to reach the final.

Mason Greenwood – once touted as one of England’s best youth talents – switched to Jamaica after falling out of Thomas Tuchel’s plans.

Luca Zidane, son of France’s 1998 World Cup hero Zinedine Zidane, chose to represent Algeria, who qualified for the World Cup after a decade – after failing to break into a deep France squad consisting of Mike Maignan and Luke Chevalier.

Another important consequence of a larger pool of teams is that it opens the door to a new set of ideas – be it the fluid changes in Jordan’s formation or Uzbekistan’s astute youth development infrastructure.

Jordan’s managerial change – from Hussein Ammouta to Jamal Sellami – changed the team’s shape to a counter-attacking 3-4-2-1 in the World Cup qualifiers, transforming it from a composed low-block side to one firing on all cylinders. The architect Sellami and the result: 16 goals in six games and direct World Cup qualification.

Uzbekistan, on the other hand, worked to build strong age-group teams, winning the U-20 Asian Cup (2023), consecutive U-23 Asian Cup finals (2022, 2024), an Olympic bronze medal and reaching the U-17 Asian Cup semi-final in 2023.

Unsurprisingly, success in World Cup qualifying was down to this proven assembly line, which included Abbosbek Fayzullaev, the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup MVP and AFC Youth Player of the Year, and Abdukodir Khusanov, a U-20 Asian champion and U-23 Asian Cup runner-up.

The impressive showing of coaches like Sellami from humble corners of the world will prompt Europe and South America, the game’s long self-appointed gatekeepers, to reconsider old assumptions – just as South Korea upset Italy in 2002, or Walid Regragui’s Morocco upset Portugal in 2022.

The beautiful game has always promised universality. Next year, with the most inclusive canvas yet, the FIFA World Cup will finally deliver this.

Published on December 4, 2025