Football · World Cup 2026
FIFA World Cup 2026: All 48 Teams and Notable Players
Which teams played at the FIFA World Cup 2026, and which players should a new fan recognise? This directory brings all 48 national teams together and separates official award winners from our editorial selection of notable squad members.
There is no official FIFA award naming the “best player” of every participating country. Calling a footballer the best involves a choice: are we judging goals, creative work, defending, leadership or the whole tournament? Here, official prizes are labelled as awards. The regional guides feature one selected squad member per team, with their broad position, without presenting that selection as a statistical ranking.
All 48 World Cup 2026 teams
| Region | Participating teams |
|---|---|
| Asia (AFC) | Australia, Iraq, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan |
| Africa (CAF) | Algeria, Cabo Verde, Congo DR, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia |
| Europe (UEFA) | Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye |
| North America, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf) | Canada, Mexico, USA, Curaçao, Haiti, Panama |
| South America (CONMEBOL) | Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay |
| Oceania (OFC) | New Zealand |
Australia appears under the AFC because it competes in the Asian confederation. Canada, Mexico and the USA are included in the Concacaf guide alongside its other participants. The table is a participant directory, not a recreation of the tournament’s 12 groups.
Official awards: a clearer answer to “best player”
Rodri, Spain: Golden Ball
Rodri received the award for the tournament’s outstanding player. His midfield role connected defensive work with Spain’s attacks. When studying a player in that position, watch what happens before he receives the ball: the available passing angles, the pressure around him and the support offered to defenders. Important work can occur before the television camera follows the next pass.
Kylian Mbappé, France: Golden Boot
Mbappé’s ten goals earned the tournament’s goalscoring award. This is a measurable distinction, but scoring and overall influence are different questions. When comparing forwards, separate the final finish from the movement that creates the chance, and consider how the team supplies the player.
Unai Simón, Spain: Golden Glove
The goalkeeper’s award recognises a role that cannot be judged by attacking numbers. A useful way to watch a keeper is to follow his starting position, decisions on crosses and contribution when his side builds possession. Highlight saves are memorable, but they are only one part of the job.
Pau Cubarsí, Spain: Young Player Award
Cubarsí received the young-player honour. For supporters interested in emerging defenders, this offers a different entry point from the usual list of famous forwards. Compare a defender’s positioning and decisions across several matches rather than drawing a conclusion from one isolated duel.
Find a player from every team
The regional pages below pair every participant with one notable player drawn from FIFA’s official squad document. A squad listing confirms selection; it does not prove that a player started every match or was his country’s tournament MVP. We avoid attaching unsupported appearance totals, performance ratings or goal counts to these selections.
Choose a region to start. Look up the selected player, then examine teammates in other positions. This gives you a broader picture of a national side than following its biggest name alone.
- Asia: 9 teams and selected players
- Africa: 10 teams and selected players
- Europe: 16 teams and selected players
- North America, Central America and the Caribbean: 6 teams and selected players
- South America: 6 teams and selected players
- Oceania: 1 teams and selected players
Read the tournament in context
For the dates, competition structure and final result, continue with our complete World Cup 2026 guide. Keep participant lists, squad selections and official honours separate when discussing the tournament: they answer different questions and together make the conversation more precise.
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