The list of countries heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has continued to grow, with at least 17 nations already sealing qualification for the global showpiece.
On Friday, Morocco made history as the first African team to qualify, thrashing Niger Republic 5-0 to secure top spot in Group E.
The Atlas Lions boast a perfect record of 15 points from five matches, with two fixtures still to play.
The North Africans will be hoping to replicate, and possibly surpass, their heroic run at Qatar 2022, where they shocked the world by reaching the semi-finals — the first African nation to do so.
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Morocco joins 16 other confirmed qualifiers. In South America, Uruguay, Colombia, and Paraguay booked their tickets on Thursday after the penultimate round of qualifiers, adding their names to the continent’s heavyweights — Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador.
Co-hosts United States, Mexico, and Canada will also be at the tournament automatically, while Asia and Oceania will be represented by Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, and New Zealand.
With two years to go, more countries are expected to clinch their spots as qualifying rounds enter decisive stages worldwide.