More than 80 countries have seen their hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup come to an end following the conclusion of the September round of qualifiers worldwide.
In Africa, 18 teams have already been eliminated after finishing bottom of their groups. These include Congo, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritania, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, The Gambia, Togo, Burundi, and the Central African Republic.
Across the globe, nations from Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean, and the Americas also bowed out. Among them are Thailand, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Bahrain, China PR, the Philippines, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Nepal, Palestine, and North Korea (Korea DPR).
Smaller nations such as American Samoa, Tonga, Belize, St. Lucia, the Cook Islands, and Macau also dropped out after finishing bottom of their groups.
Shockingly, traditional football nations like Chile, China, and Peru have also been eliminated, ending their qualification campaigns earlier than expected.
The qualification series continues in October, with surviving nations battling for a place in the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
