World Cup 2026: 48 Teams, New Format, CONMEBOL Gains Spots

The next FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams and a refreshed format. CONMEBOL gains two additional places, with six direct qualifiers and a possibility in a playoff for a seventh spot.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar, won by Argentina, marked the last edition to use a 32-team field. Starting with the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the tournament expands to 48 participants and introduces a new competition structure.

THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND MEXICO – 2026 WORLD CUP HYPERFOCUS

Among the confederations set to benefit most from adding 16 teams is CONMEBOL, with a greater share of South American nations earning direct entry to the main event.

• Overview of the qualification process and regional implications.

QUOTAS

With 48 teams at the finals, CONMEBOL receives two extra berths. Six teams will qualify directly, while a seventh earns a shot through a playoff. In effect, only three of the ten member nations would miss out on the World Cup if everything proceeds as planned.

ATTENDEES

As always, the qualifying matches will be contested by the ten CONMEBOL member federations. Even though Argentina is the defending champion, their place at the 2026 tournament is not guaranteed without completing the qualifying schedule.

The participating teams are:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Uruguay
• Colombia
• Chile
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Venezuela
• Ecuador
• Bolivia

FORMAT

Following the expansion, CONMEBOL members considered adjusting the existing structure. In mid-2022, proposals circulated to adopt a two-zone schedule with home-and-away legs to shorten the calendar and avoid early qualification that could dampen the stakes of club football and affect rights negotiations. Yet, in a late-2022 decision, the CONMEBOL Council unanimously urged FIFA to preserve the traditional format: a single round-robin group, all-play-all, over 18 match dates across two cycles.

WHEN DO THE SOUTH AMERICAN QUALIFICATIONS START?

The United States–Mexico–Canada 2026 qualifying process is slated to begin on FIFA dates in September 2023. There was initial talk of starting earlier, in June, but the plan was ultimately adjusted.

FIXTURE

Date 1

Uruguay 3-1 Chile

Colombia 1-0 Venezuela

Brazil 5-1 Bolivia

Paraguay 0-0 Peru

Argentina 1-0 Ecuador

Date 2

Peru 0-1 Brazil

Venezuela 1-0 Paraguay

Bolivia 0-3 Argentina

Chile 0-0 Colombia

Ecuador 2-1 Uruguay

Date 3

Colombia-Uruguay

Brazil-Venezuela

Bolivia-Ecuador

Argentina-Paraguay

Chile-Peru

Date 4

Uruguay-Brazil

Peru-Argentina

Venezuela-Chile

Paraguay-Bolivia

Ecuador-Colombia

Date 5

Colombia-Brazil

Venezuela-Ecuador

Bolivia-Peru

Argentina-Uruguay

Chile-Paraguay

Date 6

Uruguay-Bolivia

Peru-Venezuela

Brazil-Argentina

Paraguay-Colombia

Ecuador-Chile

Date 7

Uruguay-Paraguay

Peru-Colombia

Brazil-Argentina

Bolivia-Venezuela

Argentina-Chile

Date 8

Colombia-Argentina

Venezuela-Uruguay

Paraguay-Brazil

Chile-Bolivia

Ecuador-Peru

Date 9

Peru-Uruguay

Venezuela-Argentina

Bolivia-Colombia

Chile-Brazil

Ecuador-Paraguay

Date 10

Uruguay-Ecuador

Colombia-Chile

Brazil-Peru

Paraguay-Venezuela

Argentina-Bolivia

Date 11

Uruguay-Colombia

Peru-Chile

Venezuela-Brazil

Paraguay-Argentina

Ecuador-Bolivia

Date 12

Colombia-Ecuador

Brazil-Uruguay

Bolivia-Paraguay

Argentina-Peru

Chile-Venezuela

Date 13

Uruguay-Argentina

Peru-Bolivia

Brazil-Colombia

Paraguay-Chile

Ecuador-Venezuela

Date 14

Colombia-Paraguay

Venezuela-Peru

Bolivia-Uruguay

Argentina-Brazil

Chile-Ecuador

Date 15

Colombia-Peru

Venezuela-Bolivia

Paraguay-Uruguay

Chile-Argentina

Ecuador-Brazil

Date 16

Uruguay-Venezuela

Peru-Ecuador

Brazil-Paraguay

Bolivia-Chile

Argentina-Colombia

Date 17

Uruguay-Peru

Colombia-Bolivia

Brazil-Chile

Paraguay-Ecuador

Argentina-Venezuela

Date 18

Peru-Paraguay

Venezuela-Colombia

Bolivia-Brazil

Chile-Uruguay

Ecuador-Argentina

WORLD REQUEST 2026

FIFA DATES

• March 2023
• June 2023
• March 2024 (UEFA only)
• June 2024
• October 2025
• November 2025
• March 2026
• June 2026