Does Mexico need to qualify for 2026 World Cup? Estadio Azteca to host opening of FIFA showpiece

The 2026 World Cup will get underway at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2026

It will be a unique tournament for quite a few reasons. Three countries, USA, Canada, and Mexico, will be on hosting duties between June and July. It will also be the first World Cup with 48 teams instead of 32.

Due to the larger number of entrants, there will be a lot of logistical work for FIFA to do prior to the tournament. Additional slots for federations, automatic qualification and choosing the right dates for each match could prove to be hard work.

The Sporting News looks at which teams will receive automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Do Mexico need to qualify for 2026 World Cup?

There was some doubt as to whether all three hosts would receive automatic qualification as it could impact the logistical side of the tournament, possibly upsetting other nations.

FIFA confirmed that Mexico would receive automatic qualification to the 2026 World Cup.

A statement read: "The FIFA council confirmed that, in line with the long-standing tradition of having all hosts competing at the FIFA World Cup, as well as sporting and operational considerations, the hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2026, namely Canada, Mexico and the USA, will qualify automatically for the final round of the competition."

Since the first ever FIFA World Cup in 1930, which was hosted by Uruguay, the home nation has always received automatic qualification. Mexico will play in the 2026 tournament opener at the Azteca.

Do USA and Canada also qualify automatically?

The USA and Canada will also be granted qualification to the 2026 World Cup finals by FIFA alongside Mexico. All three slots will be deducted from the overall allocation of six assigned to CONCACAF.

This is the first time there will be more than one host for a World Cup since 2022, when South Korea and Japan both provided venues for the special occasion. Both countries were awarded automatic qualification for that tournament too, with South Korea finishing fourth in the tournament.

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Slot allocation for 2026 World Cup qualification

In May of 2017, FIFA confirmed which confederations will get the extra places in the 2026 World Cup.

Africa and Asia are the regions receiving the most new berths. The European and South American confederations received three additional spots. North America's three additional spots are in essence the three host berths, with three more teams as well as a playoff qualifier to come through qualifying.

Below is a comparison of the allocation of 2022 World Cup places, as they have been set since 1998, and the new expansion for the 2026 World Cup.