We now have the full list of national teams set to compete in the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026 across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. After a final round of qualifying fixtures — where the last remaining contenders battled for the few spots still up for grabs — the lineup is now officially complete.
A few months ago, in October 2025, we reported that five Arab countries had already stamped their tickets, while the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Iraq still had to fight to earn theirs. With the final stretch of qualifiers wrapping up just last night, four more teams from our region have secured their place, bringing the total number of Arab sides to nine. Those include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iraq, with only Oman falling just short.
The stakes are high for everyone across the board. Morocco is expected to live up to the weight of its historic semi-final run last edition; Algeria must prove it can still compete at the level it showed against Germany back in 2014; and Tunisia must show that there is still something left after years of decline. Egypt, meanwhile, enters what could be Mohamed Salah’s last real shot at leaving a mark at the international football level; Jordan makes its first-ever appearance carrying symbolic weight beyond football; Iraq returns after a 40-year absence, and both Qatar and Saudi Arabia face pressure to show that their years of investments are actually translating on the pitch.
Morocco:
Highest Position: Semi-final (2022)
Last participation: 2022
Number of participations: 7 (1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Algeria:
Highest Position: Round of 16 (2014)
Last participation: 2014
Number of participations: 5 (1982, 1986, 2010, 2014, 2026)
Tunisia:
Highest Position: Group stage
Last participation: 2022
Number of participations: 7 (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Egypt:
Highest Position: Round of 16 (1934)
Last participation: 2018
Number of participations: 4 (1934, 1990, 2018, 2026)
Jordan:
Highest Position: First participation (2026)
Last participation: N/A
Number of participations: 1 (2026)
Iraq:
Highest Position: Group stage (1986)
Last participation: 1986
Number of participations: 2 (1986, 2026)
Qatar:
Highest Position: Group stage (2022)
Last participation: 2022
Number of participations: 2 (2022, 2026)
Saudi Arabia (KSA):
Highest Position: Round of 16 (1994)
Last participation: 2022
Number of participations: 7 (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, 2026)
