Several footballing giants, including England, Italy and Nigeria, face a real struggle to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. While South America and Asia are going as expected, in Europe and Africa, some big names could be in trouble. With the expanded format of the tournament, qualification should be a formality for the established powers, but several teams are finding the going tough, and face nervy qualifying campaigns.
As the international football calendar heats up, the looming shadow of the 2026 World Cup casts a long shadow. For some of the sport's giants, the path to North America next summer is far from certain. While much of the recent focus surrounding England has revolved around their need to improve before the finals, a more pressing question looms: will they even qualify?
Gareth Southgate's men currently sit atop their qualifying group, boasting a perfect record of four wins from four without conceding a goal. However, a closer examination reveals a less convincing picture. Three of those games were at home, including two against minnows Andorra. Crucially, challenging away fixtures against Serbia in Belgrade and Albania in Tirana still await.
Serbia, their closest rivals, managed only a draw in Albania, offering England some breathing room. However, a loss in Belgrade would pile on the pressure, potentially turning the return fixture in November into a winner-takes-all showdown for automatic qualification. This scenario presents a level of jeopardy that England, absent from the World Cup since 1994, may not be fully prepared for.
Adding to the intrigue, England are not the only major nation in Europe facing a potentially uphill battle to qualify. Italy, the reigning European champions and four-time World Cup winners, find themselves in a precarious position. After failing to qualify for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, missing out on a third consecutive tournament would be a devastating blow for the Azzurri. Their recent 3-0 defeat away to Norway exposed vulnerabilities, and a goalless first half against Estonia further amplified concerns. A string of five second-half goals against Estonia helped to settle the mood, but their upcoming match against Israel, to be played in Debrecen, Hungary, represents a major test. A defeat in that game, despite having a game in hand, could leave them six points adrift of the automatic qualification spots.
Across the Atlantic, South American qualifying has largely followed expectations. While Brazil endured a stumble in late 2023, losing three consecutive games, they ultimately secured their place with relative ease. The main question mark remains over who will secure the playoff spot, with Venezuela and Bolivia in contention. New Zealand predictably claimed the Oceanian slot.
In Asia, the usual suspects – Japan, South Korea, Iran, and Australia – have qualified. However, the emergence of first-timers Jordan and Uzbekistan adds an element of surprise. The remaining three spots will be contested by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Oman, and Indonesia.
Africa presents perhaps the most dramatic qualification battles. While Morocco, the surprise semi-finalists in 2022, have already secured their place, several other giants are in danger of missing out. Senegal trails DR Congo by a single point with three games remaining and face a crucial encounter in Kinshasa. Defeat there could force them into a playoff for a chance to represent Africa in the intercontinental playoffs.
Cameroon finds themselves in a similar predicament, trailing Cape Verde by a point ahead of their clash in Praia. Nigeria's situation is even more precarious. Despite a narrow 1-0 victory over Rwanda, they trail both South Africa and Benin in their group, with matches against both still to come. These African powerhouses face a tense and uncertain path to the 2026 World Cup.
Even with the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, qualification in both Europe and Africa cannot be taken for granted. As the qualifying campaigns intensify, expect twists, turns, and potential heartbreak for some of football's biggest names.