Nine African countries seal 2026 World Cup spots

Africa is set to make history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as nine nations have officially qualified for the expanded 48-team tournament.

The continent’s largest representation ever on the global stage. One more African country still has a chance to join through an intercontinental playoff.

With the new FIFA format increasing Africa’s direct slots from five to nine, football powerhouses across the continent battled fiercely during the CAF qualifiers to secure their tickets to North America, where the tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Qualified teams

After months of intense qualification matches, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Cape Verde, and the Ivory Coast have all clinched their spots at the 2026 World Cup.

•Egypt returned to the world stage with a solid campaign led by Mohamed Salah’s leadership and goalscoring prowess.

•Morocco, Africa’s pride at Qatar 2022 after reaching the semi-finals, maintained their momentum with another dominant run.

•Tunisia and Algeria continued their consistency as North African giants, showing tactical discipline and experience.

•Ghana and Senegal have also secured their spots. 

One ticket in play

The race isn’t over yet. One final African team could still join through the intercontinental playoff, a pathway that pits top runners-up from CAF qualifying against teams from other confederations.

Among those eyeing the last ticket are Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, and Gabon, who will battle it out for a chance to complete Africa’s ten-team contingent at the World Cup.

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