After the September international break, the African qualifiers are nearing their conclusion. ESPN has provided a detailed overview of the specifics of the African qualifiers. Currently, Morocco and Tunisia have qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup.
1. When and where will the 2026 World Cup be held?
The 26th FIFA World Cup will open on June 11, 2026, and run until July 19. This will be the first time the World Cup will be hosted in three countries—Canada, the United States, and Mexico—with a total of 16 cities hosting the tournament.
The African qualifiers began in November 2023. The group stage will conclude on October 14, 2025, when the nine teams that have qualified directly for the World Cup will be determined. The play-offs will conclude in November of this year, with one team representing Africa in the intercontinental play-offs.
2. How many African teams will qualify for the World Cup?
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City, there will be at least nine African teams participating, and up to ten. This will be the largest number of teams from the continent ever to compete in a major global tournament.
In 2026, the number of World Cup qualifiers will increase from 32 to 48, with Africa's quota increasing from five to 9.5.
To date, the highest number of African teams participating in a single World Cup was six in 2010: five teams that qualified from the World Cup qualifiers plus host South Africa.
In 2026, Africa will have nine direct qualifiers for the World Cup, and one team will compete in a continental play-off against five teams from other continents for two spots in the finals. The continental play-offs will be held in the host country of the World Cup.
3. World Cup Qualifiers Africa Format
The 53 African teams participating in the World Cup qualifiers (originally 54, due to Eritrea's withdrawal before the start of the qualifiers) are divided into nine groups of six teams each. Each team will play home and away matches between November 2023 and October 2025. The top nine group winners will advance directly to the 2026 World Cup, while the four best runners-up will compete in the African qualifiers for a spot in the continental play-offs.
After the ten rounds of the African qualifiers, any teams tied on points will be ranked by goal difference, then compared by total goals, and finally by head-to-head record.
The African qualifiers will be held in November of this year in a single-elimination format, with four teams divided into two groups for semifinals and then the final. Currently, the four best runners-up are Gabon, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burkina Faso. However, the group stage has not yet concluded, and further changes are possible.
4. Current Group Stage Situation
With two rounds of group stage matches remaining in the African qualifiers, only Morocco and Tunisia have secured qualification. The 9.5 berths offered are a significant boost for teams across the continent, and those yet to play at a World Cup finals are excited and eager to make history.
Cape Verde currently appears most likely to become the latest African team to qualify for their first World Cup. They defeated Cameroon during the September international break and currently top Group D. After eight rounds, Cape Verde has 19 points, four points ahead of second-placed Cameroon with two games remaining. Furthermore, the current group leaders have all played at the World Cup.
5. Other Things to Know
Togo is the only team that has been eliminated from the World Cup qualifiers. They first reached the finals in 2006. Chad, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, Gambia, Kenya, Seychelles, Congo, Lesotho, Mauritius, Burundi, Swaziland, Mauritania, South Sudan, Djibouti, and Zimbabwe are the other teams confirmed to miss the World Cup.
For traditional African powerhouses, Nigeria's situation has become extremely grim after their draw with South Africa during the September international break. With two group matches remaining, the African Eagles remain six points behind group leaders South Africa.
South Africa used an ineligible player in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in March, and FIFA's ruling is still pending. If FIFA awards a 0-3 loss to South Africa, deducting three points, Nigeria will likely have a difficult time securing first place in the group. Benin, second in the group, is only three points behind South Africa and has a four-goal difference. If South Africa drops points, Benin could secure a direct berth.
Salah's Egypt only needs two more points to secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup. Algeria will also secure a direct berth if they win against Somalia next month. Ghana can also secure qualification with four points from their final two games.
Groups B and F remain tight, but Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire hold the initiative. Due to Eritrea's withdrawal before the start of the World Cup qualifiers, Group E consists of only five teams. This means the second-placed team will be at a disadvantage compared to the second-placed teams in other groups, as they will play one less team. Therefore, CAF needs to find a way to address this imbalance between the groups.