The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup is set to kick off in the US, Canada and Mexico in just over a week, with 48 teams competing in the biggest edition of the tournament yet, compared with the usual 32.
With this expansion, the tournament will see more teams from the Middle East and North Africa than ever before taking part.
Here's The New Arab 's guide to the competing MENA teams: Jordan 2026 is a historic year for Jordanian football , as the national team will be making their FIFA World Cup debut following a demanding Asian qualifying campaign.
Their road to World Cup qualification started in November 2023 after they were grouped with Pakistan, Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia.
With four wins, one draw and one loss to finish top of Group G, Jordan advanced to the third stage of qualification with relative ease. Among their most impressive performances was a 7-0 victory against Pakistan, which saw a hat-trick from Musa Al-Tamari and a goal from star striker Ali Olwan.
The third-round qualification stage, lasting from September 2024 until June 2025, saw Jordan in Group B alongside Asian powerhouse South Korea and the Arab nations of Kuwait, Palestine, Iraq and Oman.
Al Nashama finished the qualification round with four wins, three draws and two losses to finish second in their group with 16 points, enough to secure a historic first World Cup qualification.
Jordan will appear alongside World Cup holders Argentina, Austria and Algeria in Group J and will face Austria on 16 June at Santa Clara's Levi Stadium in their debut appearance.
Jordan are not expected to go far, with Argentina and North African heavyweights Algeria in their group, but could hold Austria to a draw. Who to look out for: Star striker Ali Olwan, who scored nine goals during qualification. Mousa Al Tamari, formerly nicknamed the Jordanian Messi, could prove lethal in Jordan's attack with his impressive left foot. Previous appearances: None. FIFA ranking: 63 Morocco Morocco, fresh from a successful Africa Cup of Nations campaign , when they controversially were awarded the title months after losing to Senegal in a raucous final, are the region's favourites to go far in the competition.
In Qatar four years ago, the Atlas Lions shocked the footballing world and captured hearts by reaching the semifinals and finishing fourth overall, becoming the first Arab and African nation to achieve the feat.
Morocco's international performances have remained steady since, albeit with a few bumps along the way, and they head into the competition ranked eighth globally.
During qualification, Morocco delivered a flawless campaign, winning all eight games and conceding only two goals.
All eyes will be on the Atlas Lions to see whether they can emulate their 2022 run, especially as Walid Regragui, the coach largely credited with that campaign, stepped down earlier this year, with Mohamed Ouahbi taking over.
Morocco are grouped with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti in Group B, with their first match coming against the South American giants at East Rutherford's MetLife Stadium on 13 June. Who to look out for: Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi, the most successful African footballer of all time, having won his 19th trophy with the French club this weekend, and attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz , who came into his own for the North African side during this winter's AFCON tournament and finished as its top scorer. Previous appearances: 2022, 2018, 1998, 1994, 1986, 1970. FIFA ranking: 8 Qatar The Gulf nation will be making its second appearance at a World Cup finals, and its first through qualification after participating as hosts four years ago. Qatar’s journey to the finals began in November 2023, facing Kuwait, India and Afghanistan in Group A of the AFC's second round of qualification.
The Maroons cruised through, scoring 14 goals against their opponents to finish top of the table with 16 points.
During the third round of qualification, Qatar were grouped with Iran, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea.
A gruelling set of matches, starting in September 2024 and ending in June 2025, saw a mixed performance from Qatar, who won four games, lost five and drew one.
The Qataris finished fourth in their group, which meant they had to advance to another qualification round.
Qatar were placed with Oman and the UAE in Group A in a week-long qualification process in October last year. A victory and a draw were enough to book their place at this summer's finals.
Qatar will face Switzerland on 13 June in Santa Clara and are also grouped with hosts Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Who to look out for: Almoez Ali, the top scorer in the AFC qualification rounds with 12 goals. Akram Afif enters the competition as the country's most decorated player. Previous appearances: 2022 FIFA ranking: 55 Algeria Algeria qualified for their fifth World Cup without difficulty. The Fennec Foxes won eight of their 10 games, drawing one and losing one.
With a team bursting with young talent such as Ibrahim Maza and Anis Hadj Moussa, as well as former Premier League star Riyad Mahrez, Algeria will be eager to impress in their first World Cup since 2014, when they reached the knockout stage and gave Germany a run for their money.
Their first game will come against Argentina on 16 June in Kansas City, and they are also up against Jordan and Austria in Group J. Who to look out for: Bayer Leverkusen star Ibrahim Maza, who impressed at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. Captain Mahrez will look to make an impression as he did 12 years ago, while the experience of Algeria's most-capped player, Aissa Mandi, will add confidence to the squad. Previous appearances: 2014, 2010, 1986, 1982 FIFA ranking: 29 Egypt The Pharaohs are Africa’s most successful team , having won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times. Yet despite their continental pedigree, Egypt have rarely managed to translate that success onto the world stage.
However, with captain Mohamed Salah likely appearing at his final World Cup and the team arriving on the back of a respectable AFCON campaign earlier this year, Egypt will be aiming to make a deep run in North America.
Like several of their North African counterparts, Egypt enjoyed a relatively smooth qualification campaign. The Pharaohs eased past Djibouti, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Guinea-Bissau, with Salah scoring nine goals along the way.
Egypt finished with 26 points to secure automatic qualification for the World Cup.
The Pharaohs have been drawn alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Iran, with second place in the group likely to be contested between Egypt and Iran. Who to look out for: Mohamed Salah , the Liverpool legend and one of the Premier League's greatest players, remains Egypt's talisman. He will be joined by Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, while emerging talent Hamza Abdelkarim will hope to make an impression after earning a surprise call-up despite limited senior experience. Previous appearances: 2018, 1990, 1934 FIFA ranking: 28 Tunisia Like their North African counterparts, the Eagles of Carthage progressed through qualification with little difficulty. Tunisia defeated the likes of São Tomé and Príncipe, Namibia and Malawi between November 2023 and October 2025, conceding no goals and finishing top of Group H with 28 points.
Tunisia have made seven appearances at the FIFA World Cup finals but have never progressed beyond the group stage. They did, however, become the first Arab and African nation to win a World Cup match when they defeated Mexico in 1978. Four years ago, Tunisia pulled off another memorable result with a 1-0 victory over eventual runners-up France in Qatar.
This year, the Tunisians will be hoping to finally break their group-stage curse, though they face a difficult challenge after being drawn alongside Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden.
The meeting between Tunisia and Japan will also mark a milestone for the tournament, becoming the 1,000th match in World Cup history. Who to look out for: Captain Ellyes Skhiri remains the heartbeat of the Tunisian midfield, bringing valuable experience and leadership to the side. Hannibal Mejbri, the dynamic midfielder who came through Manchester United's academy and now plays for Burnley, will also be expected to play a key role. Previous appearances: 2022, 2018, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1978 FIFA ranking: 45 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia will be making their seventh appearance at the FIFA World Cup and will be hoping to replicate their memorable run at USA 1994, when they reached the knockout stage for the first and only time in their history.
The Green Falcons began their qualification campaign alongside Jordan, Tajikistan and Pakistan, progressing from the initial stage after finishing second in their group.
The third qualifying round, which ran from September 2024 to June 2025, proved far more challenging. Drawn alongside Asian heavyweights Australia and Japan, Saudi Arabia could only manage a third-place finish with 13 points.
However, a composed display in the final qualification round, which included a win over Indonesia and a draw against Iraq, was enough to secure their place at a seventh World Cup finals.
Saudi Arabia have been drawn in a challenging group alongside Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde, though they will believe they have a realistic chance of competing for a place in the knockout stage. Who to look out for: Captain Salem Al-Dawsari remains the team's talisman and one of Asia's most influential attacking players. Saud Abdulhamid, the squad's only overseas-based player, will also be expected to play a key role. Previous appearances: 2022, 2018, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1994 FIFA ranking: 61 Iraq Iraq's road to this year's World Cup has been nothing short of a fairytale , the culmination of a gruelling qualification process that only concluded two months ago.
Their campaign began in November 2023, when they were drawn alongside the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam in Group F of the AFC second round of qualifying. Iraq topped the group with 18 points to progress to the third round.
The next stage, held between September 2024 and June 2025, proved far more challenging. The Lions of Mesopotamia faced South Korea, Jordan, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait, eventually finishing fourth in the group after winning four of their 10 matches.
That result meant Iraq advanced to an additional qualification round against Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. A win and a draw were not enough to secure automatic qualification, as the Iraqis were edged out by Saudi Arabia on goals scored.
Iraq then faced the United Arab Emirates for a place in the intercontinental play-offs, progressing thanks to a win and a draw against their Gulf rivals.
The play-offs, held in Mexico in March, featured six teams split into two brackets of three, with the winner of each bracket securing a World Cup place. Each bracket featured a semi-final between two unseeded teams, with the winner advancing to face a seeded side in the final.
Iraq booked their place at the World Cup with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bolivia, courtesy of goals from Ali Al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein. Their qualification for a second World Cup, and a first in 40 years, sparked celebrations across the country. The team were widely praised for their resilience as they competed amid the regional turmoil caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Iraq have been drawn in Group I alongside Norway, Senegal and tournament favourites France. Who to look out for: Ipswich Town forward Ali Al-Hamadi and former Manchester United academy graduate Zidane Iqbal will be among Iraq's key players as they return to the world stage. Previous appearances: 1986 FIFA ranking: 57 Elsewhere in the region Turkey All eyes will be on Turkey as the national team returns to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in more than two decades, boasting one of the most exciting young squads in the tournament.
Like Iraq, Turkey's qualification journey was among the longest, as they were forced to navigate the European play-offs to secure their place in North America.
The Turks finished second in Group E, which also featured Spain, Georgia and Bulgaria, advancing to the second round of the European play-offs, a competition contested by 16 teams.
The play-offs, held in March, determined the final four European nations to qualify for the World Cup.
Turkey first overcame Romania with a narrow 1-0 victory, setting up a decisive clash with Kosovo for a place at the finals.
A goal from Kerem Akturkoglu proved enough to secure qualification and send Turkey to their first World Cup since 2002.
That tournament remains one of the greatest achievements in Turkish football history, as they stunned co-hosts South Korea to finish third.
Turkey have been drawn in Group D alongside the United States, Paraguay and Australia, with their opening match against the Socceroos set to take place in Vancouver on 13 June. Who to look out for: Real Madrid winger Arda Guler and Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz are regarded as two of the brightest young talents in European football. Captain Hakan Calhanoglu will also be central to Turkey's hopes as the team's most experienced and influential player. Previous appearances: 2002, 1954 FIFA ranking: 22 Iran Iran's World Cup participation has been overshadowed by the US-Israeli war on the country, which has raised questions over the team's preparations, security arrangements and travel logistics ahead of the tournament.
Following weeks of uncertainty and conflicting statements from US President Donald Trump, as well as continued tensions between Washington and Tehran, Iran this week confirmed its 26-man squad and will take part in the competition. However, the team will be based in Mexico during the tournament and will travel to the United States for its group-stage matches.
Iran enjoyed a strong qualification campaign, recording four wins and two draws against Hong Kong, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan before finishing top of their group in the third round of Asian qualifying, with notable results against Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.
If preparations proceed without disruption, Team Melli will compete in Group G alongside New Zealand, Egypt and Belgium. Their opening match is scheduled to take place in Inglewood, California, on 16 June. Who to look out for: Striker Mehdi Taremi remains Iran's standout player. The veteran forward has enjoyed a successful career in Europe and will be expected to lead the line as Iran seek to progress beyond the group stage. Previous appearances: 2022, 2018, 2014, 2006, 1998, 1978 FIFA ranking: 21