Just a year to go before the inauguration of FIFA World Cup 2026 and the qualification scenario is heating up everywhere. The final list of the 48 participating nations is yet to be ratified but several teams have already qualified in what will be the largest staging of the tournament to date. Hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States along with South American powerhouse Argentina and Brazil are automatic qualifiers. Asia: Uzbekistan, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia are qualified. Since none of the African nations has qualified this is how they can qualify to the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
How Can These African Countries Qualify?
African (CAF) qualifiers will be done in two rounds. The former gropu stage, consisting of eight groups of six teams and one group of five afte the withdrawal of Eritrea. Every team will play two games, one at home and one away, with each of their rivals. The first place finisher in the nine groups will earn a spot into World Cup 26. The second round will feature the four top runners-up in two one off semi finals and a final. This second round will be a winner to the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
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First Round Of Group Stages Draw
GROUP A: Egypt, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Djibouti
GROUP B: Senegal, Congo DR, Mauritania, Togo, Sudan, South Sudan
GROUP C: Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Lesotho
GROUP D: Cameroon, Cape Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini, Mauritius
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GROUP E: Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, Niger
GROUP F: Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, The Gambia, Burundi, Seychelles
GROUP G: Algeria, Guinea, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Somalia
GROUP H: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Liberia, Sao Tome e Principe
GROUP I: Mali, Ghana, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chad