Japan became the first national team to qualify through the World Cup qualifiers, with New Zealand and Argentina also clinching

World Cup that was Qatar 2022 means less time to prep for 2026 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, so don't be surprised to see CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying back on your screens this fall, less than one year since Argentina beat France to the 2022 crown.

UEFA Japan last week became the first non-host nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Iran joined the Samurai Blue on Tuesday. The rest of Asia will have to wait until the final window of third-round qualifiers in June to book tickets — either to the World Cup or a last-chance fourth round.

The 2026 World Cup will have a record 48 teams, and Japan became the first nation excluding the three hosts to secure a spot. Other teams could follow in the current international window. Next year's tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada kicks off on June 11 and the final will take place on July 19.

As host nations, the United States, Mexico and Canada automatically qualify for the tournament. In the March 2025 window, we started seeing non-host nations qualify for the World Cup. The first to accomplish this feat was Japan on March 20. By the end of the March qualification window, four more had punched their tickets.