How UEFA Nations League 2024-25 Will Impact FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification Pathways?
This time around a total of 16 more teams will be added to FIFA World Cup. During the FIFA World Cup 2022 32 top national teams battled it out for the title. Lionel Messi-led Argentina National Football Team emerged as the World Champions of football.
FIFA World Cup 2026 will consist of a total of 48 teams from all around the globe. All teams from different regions such as Europe, South America, Asia and more will have to meet specific qualification criteria to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. This time around a total of 16 more teams will be added to FIFA World Cup. During the FIFA World Cup 2022 32 top national teams battled it out for the title. Lionel Messi-led Argentina National Football Team emerged as the World Champions of football. Vinicius Junior Back for Brazil and Emiliano Martinez for Argentina in FIFA World Cup 2026 CONMEBOL Qualifiers.
How UEFA Nations League Affects World Cup 2026 Qualification?
This will be the first time that 48 teams will feature in the mega football carnival which will take place next in 2026. The nations which are affiliated to UEFA will gain three additional slots. Hence, a total of 16 European Teams will participate during the FIFA World Cup 2026 instead of the previous 13. The most simple way to qualify is by winning the World Cup qualifying group. From the UEFA qualification rounds, 12 group winners will automatically secure their place in the World Cup 2026.
12 teams which will finish second, will enter an extra qualification play-off stage. Four additional teams will join them, chosen according to their Nations League rankings. The four best-ranked teams from the UEFA Nations League 2024-25, who were unable to finish first or second in their World Cup qualification group, will also progress to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification round. Struggling Australia National Football Team and Saudi Arabia Play Crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifier.
In the playoff round, there will be a mini-knockout tournament between these 16 teams. All the matches will be single-legged. The final four teams standing tall will take home the 2026 FIFA World Cup spot.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 13, 2024 03:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).