The road to the 2026 World Cup is taking shape, with 64 teams that, in theory, could lift the trophy. Of these, 42 already have their ticket secured, including the three host countries: United States, Mexico, and Canada. This means that 22 teams will compete for the remaining six spots: four from UEFA, two from CONCACAF, and one each from Asia, Oceania, Africa, and South America, respectively. Here’s an analysis of the 64 teams, based on the market value of the players and football Elo ratings, which evaluate team performance based on their results.
Ranking of the 64 Teams
64. New Caledonia
The team does not have players with an estimated market value.63. Suriname
62. Curaçao (Classified)61. Qatar (Classified)
Despite having the lowest market value and Elo ranking among the qualified teams, Qatar might not be in the lowest pot for the December draw.60. South Africa (Ranked)59. Haiti (Ranked)58. Cabo Verde (Classified)
57. New Zealand (Ranked)56. Iraq
55. Jamaica
54. Jordan (Ranked)53. Saudi Arabia (Ranked)52. North Macedonia
51. Bosnia and Herzegovina
50. Bolivia
49. Northern Ireland
48. Ghana (Qualified)Despite having a combined market value 15 times greater than Qatar’s, Ghana is ahead in the Elo rankings. Surprisingly, they qualified for the 2025 World Cup, but failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.47. Tunisia (Ranked)46. Romania
45. Panama (Qualified)44. Iran (Ranked)43. Albania
42. Congo DR
41. Australia (Ranked)
40. Uzbekistan (Ranked)Uzbekistan has proven to be a difficult team to beat, with a star defender, a standout attacker, and an Italian coach. Their performance has been notable in the AFC qualifiers.39. Egypt (Ranked)
38. Czech Republic37. Slovakia
36. Kosovo
35. United States (Ranked)Pochettino ‘positive’ about the USMNT’s journey to the World Cup
34. Wales
33. South Korea (Ranked)
32. Republic of Ireland31. Paraguay (Qualified)
30. Poland
29. Canada (Classified)28. Algeria (Classified)
27. Ivory Coast (Qualified)26. Uruguay (Qualified)
25. Scotland (Ranked)
Burley’s message to the Scottish team heading to the World Cup
24. Mexico (Classified)23. Austria (Qualified)22. Japan (Ranked)21. Ukraine
20. Switzerland (Qualified)19. Croatia (Qualified)
Despite the presence of figures like Ivan Perisic and Luka Modric, Croatia has not managed to develop a new generation of footballers. However, Modric continues to demonstrate his worth.18. Morocco (Qualified)
17. Turkey16. Senegal (Qualified)
15. Ecuador (Qualified)
14. Colombia (Qualified)
13. Sweden
12. Denmark
11. Belgium (Qualified)10. Norway (Ranked)
9. Argentina (Qualified)
8. Germany (Qualified)
Hislop: Florian Wirtz returns to his best form in Germany’s big win
7. Italy
6. Netherlands (Ranked)5. Portugal (Qualified)
4. Brazil (Qualified)
3. Spain (Classified)2. France (Qualified)1. England (Qualified)
England, with players like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Bukayo Saka, dominated the qualifiers, showing exceptional performance in defense and game control.
