even in the off-season, the 2026 North and Central American World Cup is hotly anticipated. with the expansion to 48 nations, draw strategies and port assignments have become increasingly important. here’s a breakdown of South Korea’s two-port goal, the state of the continental draw, and the full schedule, including the opening match.

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south Korea: 11th consecutive qualification + two ports are key goals

south Korea has qualified for its 11th consecutive World Cup, and the rest of the year will be spent preparing for the tournament and managing the FIFA rankingsto secure a two-port allocation. getting into a two-port will allow for a relatively favorable draw in the group stage, reducing risk.

current rankings/competition (sic)

south Korea’s FIFA ranking: 23rd (on the cusp of a 2-pot finish)
no. 21 Denmark and No. 22 Austria will remain in the rankings after two straight wins in the third Asian qualifier in June
australia is expected to move from 26th to 24th, but it’s a close race due to the lack of goal difference between them and South Korea
port allocation based on: october 2025 FIFA rankings, group stage draw expected to be held in November/December

format: 48 nations – 12 groups, round of 32 tournament

ports: 1-4 ports, 12 teams in each, 12 groups of 4 teams
group stage: 24 teams from 1-2 in each group + top 8 teams from 3 groups → Round of 32
what it means: More matches, more variability, less frequent big matches

here are the current qualifiers and their continental assignments

asia (AFC) – 8 direct qualifiers, 1 intercontinental PO

qualified (sic): iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Japan, Australia, and Japan

the six teams finishing 3-4 in the third qualifier (UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia) will play the fourth qualifier, with the top two finishers from each group advancing directly and the winners of the two second-place finishes advancing to the Intercontinental PO.

africa (CAF) – 9 teams direct qualification, 1 intercontinental PO

qualifiers: None (ongoing)

54 nations qualify in 9 groups (6 teams each), 10 matches per team. only 1st place in each group qualifies directly. schedule continues through October 2025.

north America (CONCACAF) – 6 teams direct, 2 intercontinental POs

qualificationconfirmed: USA, Mexico, Canada (hosts)

the remaining three direct spots are in contention. panama and Costa Rica are the favorites.