The 2026 FIFA World Cup has 48 teams in the final tournament, so 48 national teams are trying to make it there.

Quick Scoop

  • Final tournament teams: 48.
  • How they get there: Teams first go through regional qualifying in their confederations, then the best sides reach the World Cup finals.
  • Why people say “try out”: In soccer, it usually means qualifying , not an open tryout like in some other sports.

Simple example

If you mean “how many teams are in the World Cup itself,” the answer is 48. If you mean “how many teams enter qualification,” that number is much larger and depends on the confederation, since many FIFA member nations compete for those 48 spots.

TL;DR

48 teams make the World Cup finals.