The latest round of qualifiers around the globe for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has seen the number of entrants rise to 28.
Published On 14 Oct 202514 Oct 2025
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Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at some of the best photos from the nations that confirmed their qualification on Wednesday for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Ghana are the 21st team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup – and at least six more of the 48 places will be decided this week.
Asia and Africa are where all of the latest guaranteed spots will come from, with two from Asia and four more from Africa up for grabs.
Ghana booked their spot thanks to a 1-0 win over Comoros with Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus claiming the only goal.
Mohamed Salah scored twice on Wednesday as Egypt beat Djibouti 3-0 to seal their place at a fourth World Cup.
Algeria joined them on Thursday with Riyad Mahrez scoring in a 3-0 Group G win over bottom side Somalia.
While no countries in North and Central America or Europe are guaranteed to qualify this month, it is mathematically possible for some countries to do so.
Four European nations could book their place this week – England, Portugal, Switzerland and France.
Thomas Tuchel’s men will qualify with victory over Latvia on Tuesday, while the other three must rely on other results too.
Croatia are all but there, sitting three points above the Czech Republic with a far superior goal difference.
Joint-hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States were all granted automatic qualification for the World Cup.
Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea and Uzbekistan have already qualified from Asia.
Oceania’s one direct qualification spot has been taken by New Zealand.
Tunisia and Morocco were the first two African sides to go through, before three more joined them this week.
Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay and Colombia are the South American nations currently guaranteed a place.
Uzbekistan and Jordan will also be playing at a World Cup finals for the first time.
While they have not qualified for the tournament in full, Bolivia and New Caledonia are two of the six nations confirmed to take part in the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026.
Teams through to 2026 World Cup
Hosts: Canada, Mexico, United States.
Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan.
Oceania: New Zealand.
South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay.
Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia.
STRICTLY Come Dancing could be embroiled in a new ‘fix’ row after Dani Dyer claimed she was a ‘qualified dancer’.
Dani Dyer was the second celebrity contestant confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing 2025, with the announcment being made on The One Show earlier this week.
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Dani, 29, shot to fame when she won Love Island in 2018 – with her new reality stint very different to the dating show.
The daughter of EastEnders actor Danny Dyer will waltz her way around the ballroom in September when she joins the cast of the hit series.
But now it has been revealed that in an unearthed passage from her autobiography, Dani boasted about being a “qualified dancer”.
She said in her 2019 book that she would put “qualified dancer” under the list of qualifications on her CV.
Writing in her book, which came out six years ago, Dani wrote about how she went to theatre school at weekends from the age of 2 to 14.
“It was called O’Farrell’s Stage School and I was a really good little dancer,” she said.
Dani added: “I’m not a bad singer but it was the dance stuff I loved more – jazz, tap, ballet, modern. I’d get home and prance around the house.”
Elsewhere in the book she writes up a mock CV where she states her qualifications include: “Qualified dancer and pretty good at singing (especially Dua Lipa or Ariana Grande at the top of her voice while cleaning the kitchen).”
She also spoke about Strictly in her book, saying how she would jump at the chance of being asked to compete on the hit reality dancing competition.
“If Strictly Come Dancing want to give me a call I’d also be happy to be whisked around the dance floor,” she penned at the time.
At the time of her book coming out, Dani was all loved up with then-beau Jack Fincham, and she said of Strictly: “The only thing I’d be worried about would be the curse.”
In her book from several years ago, Dani also swooned about her bond with Shirley Ballas.
Bonding with her on a trek for Comic Relief, Dani said she was “just the most graceful, lovely person”.
But despite admitting her prior dance experience, fans are still excited to see Dani storm the ballroom.
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Reacting to the news of Dani being confirmed for the series, one person on X said: “Woooo I love Dani!!!”
“Whoop I love Dani! She’ll be awesome,” penned a second.
The Sun has contacted Strictly for comment but they did not immediately respond.
Dani is not the only star in Strictly history to have had their background in the world of showbiz scrutinised.
Tasha Ghouri, also from Love Island, had her background in dance.
The star who appeared on the series last year faced a backlash for being a trained dancer and branded the show a “fix” because they signed her up.
Actress Sarah Hadland and JLS’ JB Gill were also accused of having advantages on the show because of their backgrounds and prior careers.
But despite all of their experience, nor Tasha, Sarah or JB won the show.
Gladiator Nitro‘s signing for Strictly was shortly followed by the announcement of three more contestants – Love Island star Dani, Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston and former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were then revealed.
EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal, who plays the role of Suki Panesar in the hit soap, was then confirmed on Tuesday morning.
With YouTuber George Clarke unveiled on Tuesday afternoon on BBC Radio 1.
Model Ellie Goldstein, who has Down syndrome, was then the seventh celebrity revealed to be waltzing their way onto the dance floor next month, in the groundbreaking signing.
RuPaul‘s Drag Race UK star La Voix was then the next confirmed star to be announced.
And former England rugby union player and captain Chris Robshaw has also been confirmed this week.
The following stars are rumoured to be taking part in Strictly – plus scroll to see who has been confirmed
Angellica Bell: A familiar face on British television, Angellica is a seasoned TV presenter known for her work on shows like CBBC and The One Show. She’s no stranger to reality TV, having recently appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.
Paul C. Brunson: The charismatic relationship expert and matchmaker from Married At First Sight UK, Paul is known for his insightful advice and warm personality. Swapping the sofa for the samba, he’s tipped to bring a touch of class and intelligence to the competition.
Vicky Pattison: A reality TV stalwart who first found fame on Geordie Shore, Vicky has successfully transitioned into a presenter and author. Having supported her friend Pete Wicks on the show last year, it seems she’s ready to put on her own dancing shoes.
Ashley Cain: Former footballer and reality TV star from Ex on the Beach, Ashley has more recently become known for his incredible charity work and campaigning.
Stacey Solomon: Known for her down-to-earth charm and successful BBC shows like Sort Your Life Out, fans are eager to see if she can translate her infectious energy to the ballroom.
Georgia Toffolo: Best known as “Toff” from Made in Chelsea and for winning I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2017, Georgia is a seasoned reality TV star.
Thomas Skinner: The lively entrepreneur who became a fan favourite on The Apprentice in 2019, Thomas is known for his larger-than-life personality and catchphrase “Bosh!”. Despite admitting to no dancing experience, he’s reportedly “up for giving it his best shot.”
Tom Parker Bowles: The renowned food writer and critic, and son of Queen Camilla, is a surprising but intriguing name on the rumour list. A regular on MasterChef, it remains to be seen if his culinary precision translates to ballroom finesse.
Sir Mo Farah: The legendary Olympic long-distance runner is considered a national treasure.
Balvinder Sopal: The talented actress known for her role as Suki Panesar in EastEnders, Balvinder would follow a long line of successful soap stars on Strictly.
Jake Brown: The winner of The Traitors series three, Jake’s name has emerged as a potential contestant.
Stefan Dennis: The actor, 66, has played six-times married Ramsay Street lothario Paul Robinson since the first episode in 1985 and now the soap is coming to an end, his schedule is clear.
Confirmed Strictly 2025 stars:
Ellie Goldstein – Vogue cover model Ellie is the first contestant with Down syndrome to take part in a full Strictly series. As well as her modelling work, she is known for CBBC.
George Clarke – Social media star George was the sixth person to be revealed. The influencer isn’t the first YouTube star to appear, and follows Saffron Barker and Joe Suggs,
Balvinder Sopal – The soap star is the latest EastEnders cast member to sign up to the show. The actress is known for playing Walford matriarch Suki Panesar.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink: The former Premier League football striker, famous for his time at Leeds and Chelsea, is another sporting name being linked.
Alex Kingston – Actress Alex has joined the line-up and his hoping to emulate the success of her friend Sarah Hadland last year. She is best known for shows like Doctor Who, EastEnders and ER.
Dani Dyer: Rising to fame as the winner of Love Island in 2018, Dani has remained in the public eye with various TV appearances. The daughter of actor Danny Dyer, she’s reportedly agreed to take part.
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey: Known as “Nitro” from the BBC’s Gladiators reboot and a former Team GB sprinter, Harry has already shown off some moves on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special.
EXPLAINER
Holders England face Italy while world champions Spain take on Germany as the Women’s Euro enters its final week.
A last-minute winner, two thrilling shootouts, missed penalties and countless saves – the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women’s Euro delivered everything one could ask for.
The drama now rolls on to the final week with four teams left in the hunt for the European crown.
Here’s how the Euro 2025 semifinals line up:
When: Tuesday at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Stade de Geneve, Geneva
A long-cherished dream became a reality for Italy on Wednesday when captain Cristiana Girelli’s 90th-minute header ended their 28-year wait for a place in the semifinals of the Women’s European championships.
Coming into the contest as the underdogs, Italy stunned Norway 2-1 as Girelli scored twice while Ada Hegerberg netted once for the Norwegians after missing a penalty for the second time in this year’s tournament.
“I felt something different, something special. I have seen in the eyes of my teammates a special light,” the 35-year-old Girelli said after the game. “If you have a flame, you have to continue to live. We suffered a lot, but we fought until the end.”
Their fairytale run now faces its next test against holders England, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, winning 3-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout against Sweden on Thursday.
Eleven minutes from full-time the Lionesses – trailing 2-0 and on the brink of elimination – mounted a rapid comeback, scoring two goals in two minutes to send the match into extra time.
In the penalty shootout, which featured 14 attempts, defender Lucy Bronze slammed her spot kick into the roof of the net as the seventh penalty taker, and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made two saves as England coach Sarina Wiegman breathed a sigh of relief as her side qualified for the final four at Euro 2025.
“It was hard. One of the hardest games I’ve ever watched. Very emotional. We could’ve been out four or five times during the game,” Wiegman said.
England are unbeaten in their last five matches against Italy, all friendlies, with four of those ending in victories. The winner of the first semifinal will face either Spain or Germany in the final.
When: Wednesday at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich
Spain kept their quest for a maiden Women’s Euro title alive by knocking out hosts Switzerland 2-0 in Friday’s quarterfinal despite failing twice from the penalty spot.
The world champions were made to work hard against a stubborn Swiss defence in the first half before super sub Athenea del Castillo scored the opener shortly after the hour mark, and Claudia Pina doubled the lead with a superb curling effort. Spain’s victory kept their 100 percent winning record at Euro 2025 intact.
“Maybe we’d prefer to face Germany again because of what happened at the Olympics,” del Castillo said after the match, referring to their 1-0 defeat to Germany in the bronze medal match at Paris 2024.
Athenea may just get the revenge she hinted at: Germany are through, and Spain will now meet their Olympic nemesis in the semifinals.
The Germans defeated France 6-5 on penalties in Saturday’s thrilling semifinal, pulling off a superb comeback from a goal down despite playing with 10 players for most of the match. In the 13th minute, German midfielder Kathrin Hendrich was issued a straight red card after she pulled the hair of France captain Griedge Mbock.
With the match tied 1-1 after extra time, the contest was decided on penalties. Germany’s goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the hero, firing home from a crucial spot kick herself before pulling off a decisive penalty save to seal the upset victory against France.
“There is a very hard and tough opponent [Spain] we have to face [in the final]. Everybody really gave their ultimate effort here, and we need to regenerate. We have to make sure we recover,” said the 34-year-old Berger, who produced a string of outstanding saves throughout the match.
Germany are unbeaten in eight meetings with Spain, winning five and drawing three with a goal count of 18-3.
With close to half a million fans attending the group-stage games, the UEFA Women’s Euros has attracted attention like never before.
Now, the spotlight shifts to the knockout stages, where the stakes are high and the pressure even higher.
Eight teams remain in contention to lift the trophy, with hosts Switzerland reaching the quarterfinals for the first time. World champions Spain have lived up to their billing as the team to beat at the competition, while holders England advanced after overcoming an early scare.
Here’s how the Euro 2025 quarterfinals line up:
When: Wednesday, July 16 at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Stade de Geneve, Geneva
With a perfect nine points, Norway finished on top of Group A as expected, but they lack cohesion. The two-time European champions conceded five goals in the opening round – the most among the table toppers of the four groups.
Nonetheless, the experienced duo of striker Ada Hegerberg and winger Caroline Graham Hansen has proven to be vital for the Norwegians, who have an excellent opportunity for a deep run with Italy their quarterfinal opponent.
The Italians, who finished second in Group B, will be playing in the knockouts for the first time since 2013. Top-four finishers at six of the first seven Euro tournaments, Le Azzure have endured a barren spell since and have made the knockout round only twice in the 21st century.
But after surviving a tricky group stage – registering a win, a draw and a defeat – the Italians believe their best football is ahead of them in the last-eight.
“We have a great desire to do well, to continue dreaming, to continue writing important pages of a story that is only at the beginning,” midfielder Annamaria Serturini said before the quarterfinals.
The winner of this match will face either Sweden or England in the semifinals.
When: Thursday, July 17 at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich
After an opening match defeat which raised serious doubts about their title defence, England bounced back in style with consecutive statement wins, reaffirming their status as one of the heavyweights.
Thanks to the attacking prowess of Lauren James, Ella Toone and Georgia Stanway, the holders scored a combined 10 goals in their last two matches, finishing second in Group D.
In the quarterfinals, the Lionesses will be up against familiar foes, Sweden, whom they smashed 4-0 at the same stage during their Euro 2022-winning campaign.
“Sweden are a fantastic team, they’re relentless in the way they go about their game,” England captain Leah Williamson said.
“I think they sort of avoid the expectation of every tournament, and nobody really talks about them, [which is] slightly disrespectful, I think, because they always show up. They always seem to pose a threat to most teams, and normally come out with a medal or [be] a semifinal team, so they’re a strong team. We’re looking forward to the fixture.”
The Swedes laid down a marker with a sensational 4-1 win against a powerful Germany outfit on July 12, sealing the top spot in Group C and laying the groundwork for a revenge victory against England in Thursday’s quarterfinal in Zurich.
When: Friday, July 18 at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: Stadion Wankdorf, Bern
Playing in the Euro knockout stage for the first time, hosts Switzerland face their biggest test yet against reigning world champions and title favourites Spain.
La Roja, who topped Group B with three wins in as many games, looked unstoppable in the opening round, scoring a tournament-high 14 goals while conceding just three.
Twice Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas once again grabbed the spotlight with three goals and four assists, while striker Esther Gonzalez has led the scoring charts with four goals.
Switzerland, who finished second in Group A, are the underdogs in this contest but will undoubtedly count on passionate home nation support in Bern as their youthful side strives for an unlikely upset.
“I think none of us expected things to happen in Switzerland – sold out crowds… Everything is blowing up way bigger than we ever expected,” Swiss captain Lia Walti said.
“We couldn’t even imagine having this when we were little,” added defender Viola Calligaris. “And now it’s like this for every match. We felt the people cheering – that really gives you strength.”
The winner of this match will face France or Germany in the semifinals.
When: Saturday, July 19 at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Where: St Jakob-Park, Basel
France enter the quarterfinals in scintillating form, advancing as table toppers in what many had dubbed the “group of death”.
Scoring 11 times in the opening round, including a 5-2 thrashing of the highly-touted Netherlands outfit, France proved why they are the dark horses at this year’s tournament. Attacking winger Delphine Cascarino and striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto are both in stupendous form and have scored two goals a piece in the group stage.
“When it comes to Germany, it’s a very big nation,” Cascarino said. “They won several trophies and they have already knocked out others, so we know it’s going to be a great game… we’re going to try to find the cracks and win.”
For the eight-time record champions Germany, who finished second in Group C, defensive frailties remain a concern, especially after their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Sweden in the last group match.
The last time these sides clashed was in February 2024 with France defeating Germany 2-1 to reach the first UEFA Women’s Nations League final. A victory on Saturday would also avenge France’s painful defeat to Germany in the Euro 2022 semifinals.
