The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams, expanded from the previous 32-team format. The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across 16 cities in North America. With Japan’s qualification, the stage is set for an exciting tournament with more teams competing than ever before.

Japan has indeed become the first nation to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating Bahrain 2-0 on March 20, 2025, at Saitama Stadium. Goals from Kamada Daichi and Kubo Takefusa secured Japan’s spot in the tournament, marking their eighth consecutive men’s World Cup appearance.

Japan’s Qualification Highlights:

  • Consecutive Appearances: Japan has qualified for the World Cup eight times in a row, starting from 1998.
  • Recent Performance: They have reached the round of 16 in the last two World Cups.
  • Qualifying Round: Japan secured one of the two automatic qualifying spots in Group C of the Asian qualifiers with three games to spare.

Other Qualified Teams:

  • Hosts: Canada, Mexico, and the United States have automatically qualified as co-hosts.
  • Argentina: Qualified from South America, Argentina has won the World Cup three times (1978, 1986, and 2022).
  • Iran: Also qualified from Asia, Iran has appeared in six World Cups.
  • New Zealand: Qualified from Oceania, New Zealand has appeared in two World Cups.

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