Julius OkorieJordan and Uzbekistan have qualified for the 2026 World Cup and would be making a debut at the Mundial.
The duo are home and dry for the event that will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, featuring 48 countries for the first time.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelWith the qualification of Jordan and Uzbekistan, the number of countries whose places have been confirmed has risen to 10. They include hosts USA, Canada and Mexico who are automatic qualifers.
Others are South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Iran, and reigning world champions Argentina.
On Thursday, Uzbekistan secured their place despite being held to a goalless draw by the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi. The result was enough for them to finish second in Group A behind Iran, with one match left to play in the Asian qualifiers.
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South Korea also confirmed their 11th consecutive World Cup appearance, reinforcing their status as a powerhouse in Asian football
With six automatic slots for Asia now filled, the battle continues for the remaining places.
The UAE and Qatar, who are finishing third and fourth in their group respectively, have advanced to the next qualification round, where they will compete alongside four other teams for two additional World Cup spots.
The expanded format for the next world cup, means more teams additional matches and greater number of host cities.
Meanwhile Italy begin their World Cup qualifiers against Norway tonight with Diego Coppola expected to make his international debut against Erling Haaland and Mateo Retegui in attack. The encounter is billed for Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo.
It’s the first game in the World Cup qualifiers for the Azzurri, while Norway have already taken the lead in Group I, winning their opening two matches.
Atalanta striker Retegui, the top scorer in Serie A in 2024-25, will lead the Azzurri attack, playing as a lone striker.
Norway vs Italy Possible line up:
Norway (4-3-3): Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Ostigard, Wolfe; Odegaard, Berge, Thorsby; Sorloth, Haaland, Schjeldereup.
Italy (3-4-2-1): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Coppola, Bastoni; Zappacosta, Barella, Rovella, Udogie; Frattesi, Tonali; Retegui.
Here Is 2026 FIFA World Cup Slot Allocation
UEFA (Europe): 16 slots
CAF (Africa): 9 slots
AFC (Asia): 8 slots
CONMEBOL (South America): 6 slots
CONCACAF (North & Central America): 6 slots
OFC (Oceania): 1 slot (for the first time in history)
Intercontinental Playoffs: 2 slots
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
