So far, 42 teams have secured their spots in the final tournament, with six places still up for grabs and several more minnows in contention. Flights and visas to the USA started being arranged in early June, and the last qualifiers will be known in March.
Cape Verde
This tiny Atlantic archipelago is better known as a tourist hotspot than a football powerhouse. Not a single player from the national team plays in the domestic league, and about half were born abroad.
But Pedro Leitao Brito assembled a squad that showed real confidence during African qualifying. And when they beat heavily the favoured Cameroon at home, the path to the World Cup was wide open.
Cape Verde also benefited from a truly bizarre goal while chasing a two-goal deficit in Libya: a long-range shot by Sidny Cabral from near the halfway line slipped right between the legs of home goalkeeper Murad Al Wuheeshi.
Their qualification was sealed at home after a 3-0 win over Eswatini. At that moment, with a population of just 600,000, Cape Verde became the second-smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup behind Iceland.
Curacao
But in mid-November, an even smaller nation had their moment. The Caribbean island of Curacao covers just 444 square kilometres, is home to fewer than 200,000 people, and baseball is actually the most popular sport.
The national football team played its first official match only in 2011, as Curacao was previously part of the Netherlands Antilles. So most of the squad consists of players with experience in the Eredivisie or elsewhere in Europe.
In the decisive Central American qualifier, Curacao needed at least a draw away to Jamaica. But in the sixth minute of stoppage time, a situation arose that nearly led to a penalty for the hosts.
VAR was called into action, and Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton ruled that substitute striker Jeremy Antonisse had cleanly taken the ball off Shamar Nicholson. Coach Dick Advocaat breathed a sigh of relief.
The famous Dutch manager couldn’t be with the Curacao team for the crucial match due to family reasons, so he handed the reins to his assistant Cor Pot.
Pot got the job done and later admitted he couldn’t reach Advocaat because the phone lines were overloaded, so he’d call him in the morning. He probably knew the celebrations would last all night.
Haiti
Curacao’s success is linked to another Caribbean nation’s breakthrough. Haiti waited 52 long years for another taste of glory - their appearance at the 1974 World Cup is forever tied to the name of striker Emanuel Sanon, later named by France Football as one of the 100 legends of the World Cup.
The country’s recent history is much darker. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, Haiti has been plagued by violence. The capital, Port-au-Prince, is controlled by gangs, and since March 2024, no one has been allowed into the National Football Stadium.
Haiti played all its home World Cup qualifiers in Willemstad, Curacao. Under coach Sebastien Migne, the team turned their adopted home into a fortress, not conceding a single goal in the crucial phase.
And when they 'hosted' Nicaragua and won 2-0, the players could only watch on their phones to see if the simultaneous Honduras vs El Salvador match ended as needed...
Uzbekistan
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan became one of Central Asia’s key republics, but on the football stage, it mostly stumbled. Seven failed attempts to qualify for the World Cup were finally followed by success on the eighth try.
The White Wolves clinched the crucial point with a goalless draw away to the United Arab Emirates. Five days later, they played at home in Tashkent, where a packed stadium watched their convincing 3-0 win over Qatar.
The match was highlighted by a brilliant goal from Azizbek Turgunbojev, though few remember his rocket shot today. What captured the world’s attention was the parade organised by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the team.
After the match, he gifted all the football heroes luxury electric cars. Coach Timur Kapadze received plenty of pats on the back, but four months after qualification, he was replaced by Italian Fabio Cannavaro. The Uzbek football icon had to settle for an assistant role.
Jordan
Football has long been the most popular sport in Jordan. It’s played in the bustling streets of Amman and on the sandy fields of rural villages.
For decades, reaching the world’s biggest tournament was just a dream. Jordan came close in 2014, reaching the intercontinental playoff, but stood no chance against a seasoned, star-studded Uruguay.
The country, better known for the Dead Sea - a landlocked lake 420 meters below sea level - has been coached in the past by the likes of Oscar Tavares, Ray Wilkins, and Harry Redknapp. But it was local experts Hussein Ammouta and Jamal Sellami who finally led the national team to success, guiding them through qualification.
The hero of the decisive match in Oman (3-0) was hat-trick scorer Ali Olwan, but fans also applauded the dribbling skills of winger Mousa Tamari, currently Jordan’s top footballer and a key player for French club Rennes.
For the first time ever, Qatar also qualified for the World Cup - if you don’t count their automatic spot as hosts in 2022. Panama made it too, returning after eight years.
More chances for the underdogs
Six more teams from developing football nations are still in the running thanks to intercontinental playoffs.
Iraq advanced thanks to a penalty awarded 17 minutes after the official end of the match, clinching a 2-1 win over the UAE.
Suriname are still alive too. After a loss away to Guatemala (3-1), they got a second chance thanks to an own goal by the hosts. It was a misdirected header by Nicolas Samayoa in the 93rd minute that sent the Dutch colony into the playoffs at Honduras’ expense.
DR Congo reached the playoffs thanks to a penalty shootout win over favourites Nigeria. Coach Éric Chelle couldn’t accept the cruel ending and accused the opposition of using 'voodoo' during the shootout.
Bolivia got a lifeline despite winning just six out of 18 matches in the South American qualifiers and having a dreadful goal difference of 17:35. New Caledonia and Jamaica can still dream of the World Cup. In the European playoffs, Balkan nations Kosovo and North Macedonia are still in the hunt.