New teams to debut at the 2026 World Cup in North America
2 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 6, 2026, 7:23 AM
Last updated Jun 6, 2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will feature several debutant teams. Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have qualified, marking significant milestones for each country. Cape Verde makes history as the smallest nation to enter the tournament. Curaçao arrives unbeaten in qualifiers, while Jordan seeks to capitalize on recent successes. Uzbekistan, coached by Fabio Cannavaro, aims to make an impact in their first tournament, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo makes a notable return after decades. The tournament starts on June 14.
- •Cape Verde qualifies as the smallest nation by area to participate.
- •Curaçao is the least populous national team to qualify.
- •Jordan secures its first-ever World Cup qualification.
- •Uzbekistan competes as the first Central Asian team in the tournament.
- •The Democratic Republic of the Congo returns after 52 years.
- 7:23 AMYahoo Sports — World Cup 2026: Meet the nations making their tournament debuts 🌍
- 2:11 PMYahoo Sports — Meet the debutants at the 2026 World Cup 🏆
"The expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams has opened the doors of football’s biggest stage to new cultures and allowed several countries to make history in the tournament jointly hosted by the...
"The expanded 48-team format at the World Cup has opened the door for new footballing nations to reach the sport’s biggest stage. Let's meet the four countries hoping to spring a surprise in the Uni...
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJun 6, 2026, 7:23 AMWorld Cup 2026: Meet the nations making their tournament debuts 🌍
The expanded 48-team format at the World Cup has opened the door for new footballing nations to reach the sport’s biggest stage. Let's meet the four countries hoping to spring a surprise in the Uni...
- Yahoo SportsJun 5, 2026, 2:11 PMMeet the debutants at the 2026 World Cup 🏆
The expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams has opened the doors of football’s biggest stage to new cultures and allowed several countries to make history in the tournament jointly hosted by the...
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