- The complete line-up for the inaugural 48-team World Cup has been finalised after a nearly three-year qualifying campaign.
- Four nations – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan – will make their World Cup debut, joining co-hosts the United States, Canada, and Mexico who qualified automatically.
- England and Scotland will represent the home nations, while Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland missed out after play-off heartbreak.
- Italy failed to qualify for their third consecutive World Cup, suffering a penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Notable returns include Turkey after 24 years, Congo DR for the first time since 1974, and Iraq since 1986, with New Zealand also benefiting from the expanded format.
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