CAF confirmed Africa’s nine automatic qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the qualification campaign concluded.
The continent’s representatives at next year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States are Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, South Africa, and Cape Verde.
The qualifiers produced a fascinating mix of familiar faces and fresh stories.
Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, and Ghana all secured back-to-back appearances, underlining their growing consistency on the world stage.
Egypt returned after missing the 2022 edition, while Algeria, Ivory Coast, and South Africa made their first appearances since 2014 and 2010 respectively.
The biggest headline, however, belongs to Cape Verde, who made history by qualifying for the first time.
The island nation became only the second smallest country ever to reach the World Cup finals, following Iceland’s achievement in 2018.
Reigning African champions Ivory Coast and Tunisia both completed their campaigns without conceding a goal, showcasing remarkable defensive discipline throughout the qualifiers.
The nine group winners qualified automatically, while Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, and Gabon, the four best second-placed teams, will compete in a CAF playoff tournament in Morocco this November to determine who advances to the inter-confederation playoffs for a potential tenth African slot.
With a record nine teams at the expanded 48-nation World Cup, Africa is set for its biggest-ever representation on the global stage.
