In the international matches in March, the first decisions are made in the World Cup qualification – Japan and New Zealand could be the first qualified teams, even very small hope. A foray over the planet.
The football world has six Confederations. One of them is the UEFA, but the World Cup qualifier also runs in the other areas. Everywhere there is more places to distribute more to distribute by expanding the World Cup than before.
| confederacy | 2022 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Africa | 5 | 9 |
Asia | 4 | 8 |
Europe | 13 | 16 |
Concacaf | 3 | 3 |
Oceania | 0 | 1 |
South America | 4 | 6 |
host | 1 | 3 |
Intercontinental playoffs | 2 | 2 |
| sum | 32 | 48 |
Oceania: New Zealand could be qualified on Monday
Eleven countries, largely island groups, are organized in the Confederation of Oceania. After a preliminary decision and a group phase, it is now going towards the final tournament. And that is (mode without second legs):
- New Caledonia – Tahiti
- New Zealand – Fiji
The winner of the tournament gets the only direct starting point of Oceania. Since Australia switched to Asian Confederation before the 2010 World Cup, New Zealand has always been the qualification winner in Oceania – Monday the final has increased in Auckland.
Place of decision: The finale of the qualifying Oceania is increasing in Eden Park in Auckland.
But be careful: Neukaledonia has recovered well from his qualification for the 2022 World Cup with zero points and is now with coach Johann Sidaner from Nantes in the final tournament. “I think that if there were as many New Caledonians as Brazilians, New Caledonia would be among the best football nations in the world,” said Sidaner in an interview spread by FIFA. “They have extraordinary physical abilities. They never injure themselves. The list of qualities is endless.”
By expanding the World Cup to 48 teams, Oceania now has a fixed starting place. The loser of the final gets a place in the intercontinental playoff tournament, in which six teams from all Confederations play two more places at the World Cup except for UEFA.
Asia: Dispute over home right of the Palestinian team
Some favorites already have great promises and can hope for direct qualifications: Japan, South Korea and Iran are on the right track. Japan could make everything clear with a win against Bahrain on Thursday. Sometimes it is closely approaching – and details become important from the point of view of the associations. Iraq refuses to play its away game at the Palestinian team in West Bank or in Jordan.
As the Reuters news agency reports, Iraq did not want to play in the Faisal al-Husseini International Stadium in the city of Al-Ram near Jerusalem. But not from security concerns – but because the technology for the video assistant is missing. According to Reuters, the FIFA had then started the game in a stadium in Jordan’s capital Amman.
The Amman International Stadium
But that also criticizes Iraq. “In view of the high competition in Group B, this decision raises serious questions about the integrity and fairness of the competition,” said Iraq. Iraq is currently second in his group, which would mean a direct qualification – Jordan is only two points behind the same group.
Africa: former outsiders in good positions
In Africa, the groups are all still tight. Some teams who have never played at a World Cup would be there: Rwanda, the Sudan and the comor lead their groups each.
Most of the unrest in Group C: Eritrea pulled his participation back before the start, according to media reports out of concern that they could settle players on their trip abroad as part of the games in order to escape the dictatorship at home. Eritrea has not participated in any game since 2020 and is no longer managed in the FIFA world rankings.
The Association of the Republic of Congo was suspended by FIFA, the team’s games canceled. The reason is “a particularly serious case of inadmissible influence on third parties on the business of the organization,” said FIFA. The World Association demands that the Association in Congo have to have control again: both through its association’s headquarters and its accounts.
South America: hardly to stop Argentina
South America’s Confederation has six instead of four places at the World Cup, plus a place in the playoff tournament. In ten countries who play along, it is now becoming increasingly difficult for the big teams to only embarrassed even. Brazil crises something – and still hardly has to worry. After 12 out of 18 games, Argentina is almost through with 25 points.
Hardly demanded: Lionel Messi and Argentina will easily qualify
The toughest competitor would actually be Ecuador with 22 points, but the team was deducted three points, it only took third place. The background is the posse around the player Byron Castillo. Chile and Peru claimed that the man was not born in Ecuador and demanded that the games be canceled with his participation.
The International Sports Court CAS that Castillo was born in Colombia, but was still eligible to play for Ecuador. But Ecuador was deducted three points in the qualification for the 2026 World Cup because the association had presented “false documents”.
North and Central America: The top teams are missing – Curacao and Surinam on a high altitude
With the USA, Mexico and Canada, the three hosts are qualified for the 2026 World Cup. They are therefore missing in the qualifying competition of the Concacaf, the Confederation for North America, Central America and the caraby. So far, two outsiders have a good figure there: Surinam and Curacao have already sagged six points in their first two games and thus have a good chance of at least reaching the next round.
Curacao celebrates a victory against Barbados
But in March, the World Cup qualifiers paused in favor of National League games and qualifying games for the Gold Cup.