African Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2026: Fixtures and Results
CAF Qualification Format and Schedule
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the qualification format for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Fifty-four African teams will compete for nine guaranteed spots in the World Cup due to the tournament's expansion from 32 to 48 teams. The qualifiers will be divided into two rounds: * **Round 1:** 54 teams will be drawn into nine groups of six teams. The nine group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup. * **Round 2:** The four best runners-up will compete in a playoff tournament, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup. The qualifying matches will be played between November 15, 2023, and November 18, 2025.
Round 1 Groups
The groups for Round 1 have not yet been drawn, but the teams will be seeded based on their FIFA World Rankings. The top-seeded teams will be placed in Pot 1, and so on.
Pot 1
* Senegal * Morocco * Algeria * Tunisia * Nigeria * Egypt * Cameroon * Ghana * Ivory Coast
Fixtures and Results
The fixtures and results for the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are as follows:
Round 1
**Matchday 1** * Wednesday, November 15, 2023 * Thursday, November 16, 2023 **Matchday 2** * Sunday, November 19, 2023 * Monday, November 20, 2023 **Matchday 3** * Thursday, March 27, 2024 * Friday, March 28, 2024 **Matchday 4** * Monday, September 9, 2024 * Tuesday, September 10, 2024 **Matchday 5** * Thursday, October 10, 2024 * Friday, October 11, 2024 **Matchday 6** * Monday, October 14, 2025 * Tuesday, October 15, 2025
Round 2
**Semifinals** * Tuesday, November 11, 2025 * Wednesday, November 12, 2025 **Final** * Sunday, November 18, 2025
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