How Many Points Does a South American Team Need to Qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

With the new format of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, the competition has become more intense. Historically, teams need between 20 and 27 points to secure their spot in the tournament. For this cycle, six teams will qualify directly, while the seventh will have a chance through an intercontinental playoff.

This point range is an estimate based on past qualifiers, such as those for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, where teams with over 25 points generally qualified comfortably. The final number depends heavily on how other teams perform in the campaign.

The New Qualification Format

With 6 direct spots and 1 playoff opportunity available for CONMEBOL teams, the dynamic has changed. This gives more teams the chance to make it to the World Cup, compared to the previous system where only 4.5 spots were available.

What Do the Statistics Say?

Looking at previous qualification campaigns, teams with 25 points or more have typically secured direct qualification. As teams head into the next rounds of qualifiers, they will need to perform well in critical matches, particularly against direct rivals, to reach that point threshold and secure their place in the World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.