The African qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup CAF Qualifiers began on November 15, 2023, and will continue until November 18, 2025. This qualification is exclusive to teams that are members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The nine slots are available for the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers in the final tournament in the 2026 FIFA World Cup United States, Canada and Mexico.
In CAF, FIFA-affiliated football associations participate in the qualification process. For the first round of qualification, all 54 FIFA-affiliated football associations will be used to determine which nations will compete. In the second and third rounds, the most recent Men’s FIFA rankings will be utilised.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup CAF (Africa) is allocated five teams – Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Cameroon for the final round. This time, a total of 48 teams have qualified for the 2026 Football World Cup, with 9 slots in the final round.
Here are updates of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification process for African Qualifiers below.
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers
Table of Contents
All the ground and Matchday with Date
| Round | Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| First round | Matchday 1 | 15–18 November 2023 |
| Matchday 2 | 19–21 November 2023 | |
| Matchday 3 | 5–8 June 2024 | |
| Matchday 4 | 9–11 June 2024 | |
| Matchday 5 | 19–22 March 2025 | |
| Matchday 6 | 23–25 March 2025 | |
| Matchday 7 | 1–9 September 2025 | |
| Matchday 8 | ||
| Matchday 9 | 6–14 October 2025 | |
| Matchday 10 | ||
| Second round | Semi-finals | 10–18 November 2025 |
| Final | ||
| Inter-confederation play-offs | 1 teams |
Participated Teams
- Group A: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Djibouti
- Group B: Sudan, Senegal, Mauritania, Togo, South Sudan, DR Congo
- Group C: Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Benin, Lesotho, Zimbabwe
- Group D: Cape Verde, Cameroon, Angola, Libya, Eswatini, Malawi
- Group E: DR Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Comoros, Central African Republic, Chad
- Group F: Algeria, Uganda, Mozambique, Gambia, Botswana, Zambia
- Group G: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Mauritania, Malawi, Senegal
- Group H: Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, Zambia, Republic of Congo, Burundi
- Group I: Morocco, Tanzania, Mali, Mauritania, Libya, Eritrea
African Qualified teams
| S No | Team | Group | Qualified Date | World Cup Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt (Qualified) | A | October 8, 2025 | 3 (1934, 1990, 2018) |
| 2 | Senegal (Qualified) | B | October 14, 2025 | 3 (2002, 2018, 2022) |
| 3 | South Africa (Qualified) | B | October 14, 2025 | 3 (1998, 2002, 2010) |
| 4 | Cape Verde (Qualified) | D | October 13, 2025 | Debut |
| 5 | Morocco (Qualified) | E | September 5, 2025 | 6 (1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022) |
| 6 | Ivory Coast (Qualified) | F | October 14, 2025 | 3 (2006, 2010, 2014) |
| 7 | Algeria (Qualified) | G | October 9, 2025 | 4 (1982, 1986, 2010, 2014) |
| 8 | Tunisia (Qualified) | H | September 5, 2025 | 6 (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022) |
| 9 | Ghana (Qualified) | I | October 12, 2025 | 5 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2022, 2026) |
CAF Qualifiers First Round draw POT
| POT 1 Morocco (13) Senegal (18) Tunisia (31) Algeria (33) Egypt (34) Nigeria (39) Cameroon (43) Mali (50) Ivory Coast (51) | POT 2 Burkina Faso (55) Ghana (59) South Africa (62) Cape Verde (66) DR Congo (69) Guinea (80) Zambia (84) Gabon (85) Equatorial Guinea (91) |
| POT 3 Uganda (92) Benin (93) Mauritania (99) Kenya (105) Congo (106) Madagascar (107) Guinea-Bissau (111) Namibia (112) Angola (114) | POT 4 Mozambique (117) Gambia (119) Sierra Leone (120) Togo (122) Tanzania (123) Zimbabwe (124) Central African Republic (125) Malawi (126) Libya (127) |
| POT 5 Niger (128) Comoros (130) Sudan (131) Rwanda (139) Burundi (140) Ethiopia (143) Eswatini (146) Botswana (147) Liberia (148) | POT 6 Lesotho (152) South Sudan (168) Mauritius (180) Chad (181) São Tomé and Príncipe (187) Djibouti (193) Seychelles (196) Eritrea (198) Somalia (199) |
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers Groups and Standings
The 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers Group winners will secure direct qualification for the final World Cup teams, while the four best runners-up will enter playoffs to compete for a spot in the inter-confederation playoffs. (Last match Update – 15 October 2025)
- Fixtures and Results of September African Qualifiers (Matchday 7 and 8)
- Fixtures and Results of October African Qualifiers (Matchday 9 and 10)
Groups Standings
Teams were divided into nine groups, each consisting of six teams, to compete in home-and-away matches.
Group A
The CAF Group A includes Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Egypt won Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers with 26 points in 10 games.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification– Egypt
- Possible second round Qualification – Burkina Faso
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt (Q) | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 2 | +18 | 26 |
| 2 | Burkina Faso (E) | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 8 | +15 | 21 |
| 3 | Sierra Leone (E) | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 15 |
| 4 | Guinea-Bissau (E) | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 10 |
| 5 | Ethiopia (E) | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 9 |
| 6 | Djibouti (E) | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 33 | -28 | 1 |
Group B
The CAF group B includes Senegal, DR Congo, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan, and South Sudan. Senegal is qualified from Group B of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 24 points in 10 games.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification– Senegal
- Possible second round Qualification – DR Congo
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senegal (Q) | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 3 | +19 | 24 |
| 2 | DR Congo | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 22 |
| 3 | Sudan (E) | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 13 |
| 4 | Togo (E) | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 8 |
| 5 | Mauritania (E) | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 7 |
| 6 | South Sudan (E) | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 19 | −16 | 5 |
Group C
The CAF Group C contains Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho. South Africa has qualified from Group C in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 18 points in 10 games.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification– South Africa
- Possible second round Qualification – Nigeria
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa (Q) | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 18 |
| 2 | Nigeria (S) | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 17 |
| 3 | Benin (E) | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 17 |
| 4 | Lesotho (E) | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 12 | −3 | 12 |
| 5 | Rwanda (E) | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 11 |
| 6 | Zimbabwe (E) | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 12 | −7 | 5 |
Group D
The CAF Group D contains Cameroon, Cape Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini and Mauritius. Cape Verde is the most game-winning squad in Group D of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 23 points in 10 games.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification– Cape Verde
- Possible second round Qualification – Cameroon
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Verde (Q) | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 8 | +8 | 23 |
| 2 | Cameroon (S) | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 5 | +12 | 19 |
| 3 | Libya (E) | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 16 |
| 4 | Angola (E) | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 12 |
| 5 | Mauritius (E) | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 17 | −10 | 6 |
| 6 | Eswatini (E) | 10 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 19 | −13 | 3 |
Group E
The CAF Group E contains Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, Niger and Eritrea. Morocco is the winner of Group E 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 24 points in 8 games.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification– Morocco
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morocco (Q) | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | +20 | 24 |
| 2 | Niger (E) | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 15 |
| 3 | Tanzania (E) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 10 |
| 4 | Zambia (E) | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 9 |
| 5 | Congo (E) | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 24 | −20 | 1 |
| 6 | Eritrea (E) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group F
The CAF Group F contains the Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, Gambia, Burundi and Seychelles. Ivory Coast is top in Group F 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 26 points in 10 games.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification– Ivory Coast
- Possible second round Qualification – Gabon
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivory Coast (Q) | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | +25 | 26 |
| 2 | Gabon (S) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 9 | +13 | 25 |
| 3 | Gambia (E) | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 18 | +9 | 13 |
| 4 | Kenya (E) | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 14 | +4 | 12 |
| 5 | Burundi (E) | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 6 | Seychelles (E) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 53 | −51 | 0 |
Group G
The CAF Group G contains Algeria, Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana and Somalia. Algeria is the highest point earner in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 25 points in 10 games.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification– Algeria
- Possible second round Qualification – Uganda
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algeria (Q) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 8 | +16 | 25 |
| 2 | Uganda (E) | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 18 |
| 3 | Mozambique (E) | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 17 | −3 | 18 |
| 4 | Guinea (E) | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 15 |
| 5 | Botswana (E) | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 16 | −4 | 10 |
| 6 | Somalia (E) | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 20 | −17 | 1 |
Group H
The CAF Group H comprises Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Tunisia is the winner of Group H 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, with 28 points in 10 games.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification– Tunisia
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisia (Q) | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | +22 | 28 |
| 2 | Namibia (E) | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 15 |
| 3 | Liberia (E) | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 15 |
| 4 | Malawi (E) | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 13 |
| 5 | Equatorial Guinea (E) | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 11 |
| 6 | São Tomé and Príncipe (E) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 26 | −21 | 3 |
Group I
The CAF Group I contains Mali, Ghana, Madagascar, the Central African Republic, the Comoros and Chad. Ghana tops Group I in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers, earning 25 points from 10 games.
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification– Ghana
- Possible second round Qualification – Madagascar
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghana (Q) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 6 | +17 | 25 |
| 2 | Madagascar (E) | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 19 |
| 3 | Mali (E) | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 6 | +11 | 18 |
| 4 | Comoros (E) | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 13 | −1 | 15 |
| 5 | Central African Republic (E) | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 24 | −13 | 8 |
| 6 | Chad (E) | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 24 | −19 | 1 |
Ranking List of Runners-up
The top four teams ranked third in the points table after the first round.
- Second round Qualification – Top 4 teams
| Pos | Group | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | Gabon | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 19 |
| 2 | B | DR Congo | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 16 |
| 3 | D | Cameroon | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 15 |
| 4 | C | Nigeria | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 15 |
| 5 | A | Burkina Faso | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 15 |
| 6 | E | Niger | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 15 |
| 7 | I | Madagascar | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 13 |
| 8 | G | Uganda | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 12 |
| 9 | H | Namibia | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 9 |
CAF Second round
| Pos | Group | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | Gabon | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 19 |
| 2 | B | DR Congo | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 16 |
| 3 | D | Cameroon | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 15 |
| 4 | C | Nigeria | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 15 |
The second round of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is currently underway, with teams competing for one of the continent’s 9 direct slots
The four best 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers runners-up teams from the groups will be drawn into the playoffs. And the Winner will qualify for the Inter-confederation playoffs round.
Match Schedule
| Match | Date | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Semifinals 1 | November 13, 2025 | Nigeria 4-1 Gabon |
| Semifinals 2 | November 13, 2025 | Cameroon 0-1 DR Congo |
| Final | November 16, 2025 | Nigeria 1(3)-1(4) DR Congo |
Inter-confederation play-offs
The top two runners-up from the third round will form a team. This team will compete against teams from the AFC, OFC, CONMEBOL, and CONCACAF, as well as two teams from the latter. The winning team will secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Top goalscorers
Mohamed Amoura tops the goalscoring charts with 10 goals, while Mohamed Salah closely follows in second place with just one goal less in the Africa FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
| S No | Player Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohamed Amoura – Algeria | 10 |
| 2 | Mohamed Salah – Egypt | 9 |
| 3 | Denis Bouanga – Gabon | 8 |
| 4 | Kamory Doumbia – Mali | 8 |
| 5 | Victor Osimhen – Nigeria | 8 |
| 6 | Jordan Ayew – Ghana | 7 |
| 7 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon | 7 |
| 8 | Musa Barrow – Gambia | 7 |
How many African teams qualify for the World Cup?
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers: 9 direct slots are available for the final round. On 15 October 2025, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Senegal and the Ivory Coast have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup teams.
How many African teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup final round?
As of now, all nine African teams (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Senegal and the Ivory Coast) have officially qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from the 9 allocated slots.
How many African teams have qualified for the second round?
The top four teams in the ranking list of runners-up— Nigeria, Gabon, DR Congo, and Cameroon— have qualified for the second round of the second round of Africa World Cup Qualifiers.
Which team has played in the CAF Second Round final?
Nigeria vs DR Congo played the final match of the Second Round on November 16, 2025, at Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat. Nigeria missed out on the 2026 World Cup after losing 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo in a qualifying play-off.
