FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Tracking which teams have qualified as South Africa, Qatar clinch

Here is a 189-word summary of the news article: The FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers are underway, and several teams have already secured their spots in the tournament. On Tuesday, South Africa and Qatar officially clinched their places in the competition. South Africa's qualification marks their return to the World Cup after missing out on the previous edition in 2022. The team secured their spot through their performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Meanwhile, Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, has also booked their place in the 2026 tournament. As the reigning champions, Qatar's automatic qualification was expected. The article highlights that the 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams, a significant increase from the 32-team format used in previous editions. This expansion is aimed at making the tournament more inclusive and providing more opportunities for national teams to compete on the global stage. The article does not provide details on which other teams have qualified or the specific qualification scenarios for the remaining spots. It focuses solely on the confirmed qualifications of South Africa and Qatar.