On Nov. 17-18, UEFA, the head European governing soccer association, completed its first round of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Powerhouses like Germany and the Netherlands qualified for the World Cup on the 17th, while Scotland and Austria qualified for their first World Cup appearance since 1998.

Beforehand, in October, CAF in Africa completed its qualification round. The small nation of Cape Verde qualified for the first World Cup. Moreover, South Africa qualified for their first World Cup since hosting the event in 2010. Furthermore, African powerhouses Algeria and the Ivory Coast qualified for their first World Cup since 2014.

While in CONCACAF, in North America, the nation of Curacao, located off the coast of Venezuela, qualified for its first World Cup. Haiti qualified for their first World Cup since 1974 in what was known as West Germany. Panama qualified for the World Cup after missing the 2022 World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup is coming in the next few months and will surely bring excitement to soccer fans. This tournament will be many firsts: the first 48-team World Cup, the first hosted by three nations. This upcoming World Cup is also poised to bring the most debutants, giving the dream of a million fans to finally see their country play on the world’s biggest stage.