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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Sophia Vesely

2026 World Cup Lineup Complete After Dramatic Night of Playoffs

Following the theatrics of Tuesday’s World Cup qualifying matches, the complete 2026 FIFA World Cup field is finally set.

The final six spots at next summer’s tournament were handed out across the globe, with the biggest shock coming as Italy once again failed to qualify. Defeat on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina means the Italians have missed out for a third tournament in a row.

Denmark also missed out after defeat to Czechia, which booked its place alongside Türkiye, Sweden, DR Congo and Iraq to complete the full 48-team setup.


Italy Misses Out on Chaotic Night

Alessandro Bastoni
Alessandro Bastoni’s early red card proved costly. | Giacomo Cosua/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The team ranked 12th in FIFA’s global rankings will not be going to the World Cup.

Italy, champions in 2006, has won just once at the World Cup since that famous day and has not even qualified for the competition since 2014. That absence will extend for at least another four years after a shock defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, who made the most of Alessandro Bastoni’s first-half red card to take the Azzurri to penalties.

Eight places down in the FIFA rankings sits Denmark. Brian Riemer’s side dominated Czechia on the night—77% possession and 22 shots on goal—but were sloppy when it mattered most and were held to a 2–2 draw after 120 minutes. Like Italy, penalties were also Denmark’s undoing.

Türkiye qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2002 with a comfortable win over Kosovo, inspired by Kerem Aktürkoglu’s strike early in the second half, with Sweden taking the final European spot.

Sweden vs. Poland was a repeat of a qualifier for the 2022 World Cup. On that night, it was Poland who came out on top, so Sweden’s victory here was coated in revenge and celebrated wildly as Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres struck in the 88th minute to seal a dramatic 3–2 victory.


2026 World Cup: Every Qualified Country

Vinicius Junior
Brazil have appeared at every World Cup. | Etsuo Hara/Getty Images
Country Confederation
Canada (Host) Concacaf
Mexico (Host) Concacaf
USMNT (Host) Concacaf
Haiti Concacaf
Panama Concacaf
Curaçao Concacaf
Australia AFC
Iran AFC
Japan AFC
Jordan AFC
Qatar AFC
Saudi Arabia AFC
South Korea AFC
Iraq AFC (Inter-confederation playoffs)
Uzbekistan AFC
Algeria CAF
Cape Verde CAF
Egypt CAF
Ghana CAF
Ivory Coast CAF
Morocco CAF
Senegal CAF
South Africa CAF
Tunisia CAF
DR Congo CAF (Inter-confederation playoffs)
Argentina CONMEBOL
Brazil CONMEBOL
Colombia CONMEBOL
Ecuador CONMEBOL
Paraguay CONMEBOL
Uruguay CONMEBOL
New Zealand OFC
England UEFA
France UEFA
Croatia UEFA
Portugal UEFA
Norway UEFA
Netherlands UEFA
Germany UEFA
Austria UEFA
Scotland UEFA
Switzerland UEFA
Spain UEFA
Belgium UEFA
Türkiye UEFA (playoffs)
Bosnia and Herzegovina UEFA (playoffs)
Sweden UEFA (playoffs)
Czechia UEFA (playoffs)

2026 World Cup Tickets


2026 World Cup Stadiums: Full List

MetLife Stadium
MetLife Stadium will host the 2026 World Cup final. | Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images
  • MetLife Stadium: East Rutherford, NJ
  • AT&T Stadium: Dallas, TX
  • GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium: Kansas City, Missouri
  • NRG Stadium: Houston, TX
  • Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Atlanta, GA
  • SoFi Stadium: Inglewood, CA
  • Lincoln Financial Field: Philadelphia, PA
  • Lumen Field: Seattle, WA
  • Levi's Stadium: San Francisco, CA
  • Gillette Stadium: Foxborough, MA
  • Hard Rock Stadium: Miami, FL
  • BC Place: Vancouver, Canada
  • BMO Field: Toronto, Canada
  • Estadio Azteca: Mexico City, Mexico
  • Estadio BBVA: Monterrey, Mexico
  • Estadio Akron: Guadalajara, Mexico

READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & ANALYSIS HERE


This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 World Cup Lineup Complete After Dramatic Night of Playoffs.

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