2026 World Cup Predictions: Football Experts Reveal 48 Qualified Teams and Major Absentees
Football data experts have released their predictions for the 48 nations expected to compete in the highly anticipated 2026 World Cup, sparking debate with their list of major teams tipped to miss out on the expanded tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across North America – in the USA, Mexico, and Canada – marks a historic milestone as the first-ever 48-team World Cup. This edition also breaks ground as the first to be jointly hosted by three nations since the 2002 World Cup. The tournament will feature a new format designed to accommodate the increased number of participants.
The expanded format will see 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to a newly introduced round of 32, replacing the traditional path to the final stages. This significant change promises more matches and opportunities for a wider range of nations to participate on the global stage.
As qualification pathways for the upcoming tournament progress, Football Meets Data, a respected football analysis platform, has published its forecast of the 48 teams predicted to secure their place in the United States. Their projections, based on FIFA rankings as of April 2025, and current seeding pot standings, have highlighted some surprising potential absentees from the world’s biggest football competition.
Notably, several nations currently ranked within the top 50 in the FIFA rankings are predicted to not qualify for the 2026 World Cup according to these football experts. These potentially missing teams include:
- Sweden
- Ukraine
- Wales
- Hungary
- Poland
- Romania
- Peru
- Slovakia
- Czechia
- Nigeria
- Scotland
- Qatar
- Chile
These predictions suggest that despite the expanded 48-team format, the 2026 World Cup could proceed without some prominent football stars. Fans might miss seeing world-class players such as:
- Alexander Isak (Sweden)
- Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden)
- Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
- Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
Predicted 2026 World Cup Qualified Nations
Here is the full list of the 48 nations Football Meets Data predicts will qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America:
- USA
- Mexico
- Canada
- Argentina
- France
- Spain
- England
- Brazil
- Netherlands
- Portugal
- Belgium
- Italy
- Germany
- Croatia
- Могоссо
- Uruguay
- Colombia
- Japan
- IR Iran
- Senegal
- Switzerland
- Denmark
- Austria
- Korea Republic
- Egypt
- Panama
- Algeria
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Paraguay
- Tunisia
- Cameroon
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
- Uzbekistan
- Saudi Arabia
- Jordan
- UAE
- Ghana
- Honduras
- New Zealand
- Türkiye
- Serbia
- Norway
- Greece
- Venezuela
- Congo DR
The decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams has not been without controversy. Critics have voiced concerns that increasing the number of participating nations could dilute the overall quality of the tournament, suggesting that the move was driven more by political considerations than sporting merit.
However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the expansion back in 2017, arguing that it creates more opportunities for smaller footballing nations. He highlighted past upsets, stating, “Costa Rica eliminated England and Italy in the last World Cup [referring to the 2014 World Cup], a good solid team and there are many other teams who could make it to the World Cup,” via the BBC.
Infantino further elaborated, “I believe that the actual quality could rise, because many more countries will have the chance to qualify so they will invest in their elite football as well as grassroots.” He emphasized the global growth of football, saying, “Football has now become a truly global game. Everyone is happy about investment in Europe, but what about helping outside Europe? They need to be open.”
He reassured concerns regarding player welfare and scheduling, adding, “The key message from clubs I appreciate fully has always been don’t touch the calendar, the dates of the World Cup, or the burden for the players, and both these commissions fulfill them. We will play 32 days like now, we play maximum of seven matches like now, 12 stadiums, like now, but give the chance for more countries to dream.”
What do you think about these predictions? Will the 2026 World Cup live up to the hype with its expanded format? Share your thoughts in the comments below!