With a year and a half to go until the United States, Mexico, and Canada host the 2026 World Cup, most confederations have already begun their qualifying campaigns to secure spots in the tournament.
However, there are complications. The three host nations are automatically qualified, Russia remains banned from FIFA and UEFA competitions due to its invasion of Ukraine, and now, two more national teams have been excluded from the 2026 World Cup by FIFA.
In an official statement, FIFA announced that the soccer federations of Congo and Pakistan have been suspended from all FIFA-governed competitions. This includes the ongoing World Cup qualifiers in Africa and Asia.
Pakistan was already eliminated, while Congo misses out
The expanded slots for the 2026 World Cup offered every confederation more opportunities to send teams to the biggest stage in soccer. Despite this, Pakistan had already been eliminated from AFC qualifiers.
The Pakistan team line up prior to the Men’s Football group F first round match between Maldives and Pakistan. (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
FIFA declared that the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has been suspended effective immediately for failing to implement constitutional reforms ensuring fair play and democratic elections. Until these issues are resolved, Pakistan will remain barred from FIFA competitions.
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Meanwhile, Congo was competing in the second round of African qualifiers but had failed to secure any points. FIFA announced the suspension of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) due to significant violations.
The governing body cited third-party interference in the federation’s operations, which FIFA identified as a direct breach of its statutes. The suspension will only be lifted once FECOFOOT regains full control of its offices, sports facilities, and bank accounts—currently under external control.
