The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee has announced the new format for the African FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The announcement was made on Friday morning following CAF’s meeting on Thursday in Algiers.
The executive committee announced that the new format for 2026 World Cup qualifiers has been adapted in line with FIFA’s expanded FIFA World Cup format and will involve all 54 member associations of CAF, which will be divided into nine (9) groups.
Approved Dates: FIFA World Cup 2026 African Qualifiers:
| Dates | Round |
|---|---|
| 13-21 Nov 2023 | FIFA WC 2026 – MD 1 & MD 2 |
| 3-11 Jun 2024 | FIFA WC 2026 – MD 3 & MD 4 |
| 17-25 Mar 2025 | FIFA WC 2026 – MD 5 & MD 6 |
| 1-9 Sep 2025 | FIFA WC 2026 – MD 7 & MD 8 |
| 6-14 Oct 2025 | FIFA WC 2026 – MD 9 & MD 10 |
| 10-18 Nov 2025 | CAF play-off tournament |
| Mar 2026 | FIFA play-off tournament |
| *Match Day (MD) |
Winners of each Group will automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The four best runners-up (from the Groups) will play in a CAF Play-Off tournament. The winner (CAF Play-Off tournament) will play in the FIFA Play-off Tournament.
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CAF revealed that the Official Draw of the FIFA World Cup 2026 African Qualifiers will be on Wednesday 12 July 2023 in Cotonou, Benin – the night before the 45th CAF Ordinary General Assembly.
