The race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is in full swing across Africa, and the excitement is reaching fever pitch as 54 nations battle fiercely for a ticket to football’s grandest stage.
With CAF’s expanded qualification format, the journey promises both intense drama and fresh opportunities for the continent’s football powerhouses and rising stars alike.
Under the current setup, nine groups, each containing six teams, are slugging it out across various stadiums in Africa. The winners of each group will automatically qualify for the World Cup, a major milestone that boosts Africa’s representation at the global tournament.
In a recent announcement, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) outlined the details of the playoffs that will determine the continent’s final World Cup spot. According to the statement, the FIFA rankings in October 2025 will be used to decide the seeding for the draw.
CAF explained that the top-ranked nation will take on the fourth-best team, while the second- and third-ranked countries will face each other in a mini knockout round. The semi-finals are scheduled for November 13, 2025, followed by the final on November 16, 2025.
The winner of that playoff will advance to the intercontinental playoffs, set for March 2026, where they’ll compete against teams from Asia, South America, Oceania, or CONCACAF for one of the last remaining tickets to the tournament.
With Africa’s football giants like Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria all in the mix and several underdogs dreaming big, the road to 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling World Cup qualifying campaigns the continent has ever seen.