Does Canada Qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

Does Canada Qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

Yes, Canada will be at the 2026 World Cup alongside the U.S. and Mexico. 

The host nation is always the first country to qualify for the tournament, and the host is also not required to play any qualification matches. 

No qualification matches do also, however, mean a lack of competitive fixtures to look forward to for Canadian fans across the next three years.

This is the first time three nations have hosted the World Cup simultaneously, but FIFA is still allowing all three nations passage into the finals.

More Canada World Cup Coverage: Predicting the Canada Roster for the 2026 World Cup

Who Will Canada Play at the 2026 World Cup?

Although Canada has qualified for the World Cup as host, it’s too early to see who it will play at the 2026 finals. 

We must wait a few more years to see who qualifies for the tournament alongside the Canadians, but they will be allocated a spot in one of the eight groups.

Despite all three nations acting as hosts, Canada could still play against Mexico or Canada. 

This is because the draw is based on the FIFA World Rankings and not on geographics like qualification is. 

At the same time, the FIFA World Rankings will change many times before the draw is made, so determining who Canada will play in 2026 is guesswork.

This will also be Canada's first time hosting the tournament, but with the U.S. allocated 60 matches to host, Canada has only 10 matches in the finals and will close its doors at the quarterfinals stage.