The 2026 World Cup qualifiers are underway across each region except Europe, with UEFA scheduled to kick off its campaign in March 2025.
National teams around the world are fighting for a coveted spot in the tournament hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Read on as we assess how things are progressing in three key regions, starting with a look at New Zealand’s bid to book a spot at the World Cup.
New Zealand Kick Off Qualifiers with Emphatic Win
New Zealand took a confident step towards the 2026 World Cup, raising the curtain in their second-round Oceania qualifier with a resounding 3-0 win over Tahiti.
With the 2026 World Cup set to debut an expanded 48-team tournament, the winner of the Oceanian section is guaranteed a spot at the showpiece.
The winner from the region will skip the intercontinental play-off hurdle, and bookmakers rate New Zealand as one of the favourites to qualify.
Kiwi punters have been flocking to the best betting sites NZ to back the team and they have an excellent chance of securing a winning return.
New Zealand have not played in the World Cup since 2010, but the expanded format of the 2026 tournament has given their odds of qualifying a huge shot in the arm.
The Kiwis have dominated Oceania since Australia joined the Asian Confederation in 2006, but it has not helped their quest to qualify for the World Cup.
They have been narrowly denied a place in the World Cup in their last three attempts, with the play-offs proving insurmountable.
However, their dominance in Oceania will finally count for something, as they will not have to deal with the intercontinental play-offs this time around.
New Zealand will host Vanuatu and Samoa in mid-November. The top two teams from each group then face a four-team play-off in March, where the winner will clinch Oceania’s coveted World Cup spot.
South American Qualifier Heats Up in Race to 2026 World Cup
We are halfway through the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, and the race to secure a spot in the 2026 tournament is heating up.
Since this marathon format was introduced in 1996, with all ten nations playing each other home and away, it has been a game-changer.
The set-up has given ‘smaller’ footballing nations the schedule they need to play matches regularly and secure a steady income they can reinvest into their infrastructure.
There have been several mind-boggling achievements since. Ecuador are now World Cup regulars after years of exile from the tournament, while Colombia reached new heights by making it to the quarter-finals in 2014.
Chile and Paraguay have also done well – Uruguay is once again considered one of football’s elites, while Venezuela are no longer just making up the numbers.
However, there were genuine concerns about the expanded format before the qualifiers started. Four teams previously qualified automatically, with fifth place going through the play-offs.
The expansion means there are now six automatic berths while seventh goes through the play-offs, so only three teams will miss out of the World Cup.
There were suggestions that the qualifiers would lose their meaning, with many teams qualifying long before the final rounds, but it has not turned out that way.
The action has been gripping and competitive, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. A nervy 12 months lies ahead for the teams in mid-table.
China Desperate to Bounce Back in World Cup Qualifiers
China’s hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup are on thin ice after three consecutive defeats in the qualifiers, leaving Branko Ivankovic’s side desperate for a win against Indonesia on home turf.
The Dragon Team opened their qualifying campaign with a crushing 7-0 defeat against Japan. Their hopes continued to sink with a narrow 2-1 defeat against ten-man Saudi Arabia.
China then blew a 1-0 lead against Australia to lose 3-1, but they turned a corner after beating Indonesia 2-1 on home turf.
However, they are still rooted to the bottom of Group C, level on points with their most recent victims and just two behind second-placed Australia.
The top two teams in each group secure automatic qualification for the World Cup, while the third and fourth spots advance to further rounds and China are determined to finish in the top four.
Despite being just two points behind, finishing in the top two seems like a long shot for China, but the fourth round is still within their grasp if they can turn things around.
