International qualifiers may not get the fanfare or attention of a major tournament, but they play an equally important role in football’s grand narrative. They are where the most meaningful stories of tactical ingenuity and raw emotion are born. And, for many countries, they are where their dreams of World Cup glory start and end.
This month, qualifiers kick off across the globe as teams compete for a fixed number of World Cup berths. The qualifiers system has evolved over the years, but the basic structure remains the same: nations are divided into zones which roughly correspond to their continents and compete for a set of berths. The top four teams from each zone earn automatic spots at the final tournament. The remaining spots are awarded to winners of intercontinental play-offs.
In Europe, the first round of qualification finally got under way this week as most of the 55 UEFA-affiliated countries kicked off their campaigns. There was one notable absence, as Eritrea were ruled out of the competition due to government interference.
The next step will be a second round of play-offs that see the 12 group runners-up, plus the four best Nations League group winners (based on their overall ranking) take part in two rounds of single-match play-offs. The winning teams will qualify for the 2026 finals.
The Oceania path is arguably the most difficult, as the confederation does not have a guaranteed spot in the finals. That said, a series of wins for Australia and New Zealand in the last round of qualifiers put both sides within sight of a play-off place.