With a year to go until the next World Cup, some countries have already qualified while others are still trying to reach the finals. There are 48 places at the final tournament, with Europe guaranteed 16 spots, Africa a minimum of nine, Asia at least eight and North/Central America a further three. The last two slots are decided by intercontinental play-offs.
The first of those has already happened, with New Zealand securing the only place available to Oceanic nations by winning their round-three interconfederation playoffs. They will play in a series of one-legged matches against the winners of the other three four-team groups, with the top two sides in each group making it to the World Cup finals.
But despite the success of those teams, some campaigns are a long way from over, with a number of crucial fixtures to come in both Europe and Asia before the full qualifying line-up is clear. The Independent takes a look at the current state of play in each region as we countdown to 2026.