Road to the 2026 World Cup: how is it shaping up with 48 places at stake?

With more teams to qualify than ever we take a look at the situation in the six confederations, from Japan being close to securing their place to Brazil’s struggles
The road to the 2026 World Cup, an unprecedented 48-team event, is under way. The finals, hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, expands to 104 matches in 16 cities. Here is all you need to know about the diverse qualification paths for each confederation, key matches and emerging contenders.
Iran v UAE, 20 March
South Korea v Jordan, 25 March
Niger v Morocco, 21 March
Sudan v Senegal, 22 March
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