The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be a huge event, with 48 teams competing in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Africa gets 9 direct spots and 1 more through playoffs. The 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers, organized by CAF, began in 2023 and are scheduled to conclude this year. Teams are in 9 groups, playing each other home and away.
The winner of each group goes straight to the World Cup. The best 4 second-place teams play extra games for one more spot.
As of today (October 11, 2025), after matchday 9, four teams have qualified: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Many groups are still tight, with big games coming up on matchday 10 (October 12-14). Let’s look at the latest news, standings, and what to expect. This guide uses simple words to explain everything.
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers – Teams, Standings, and Key Matches
Four strong teams have already booked their tickets to the 2026 World Cup:
- Egypt: Top of Group A with 23 points. They have not lost a game.
- Morocco: Won Group E with 21 points from 7 games. They are unbeaten and scored lots of goals.
- Algeria: Leaders in Group G with 22 points. They qualified after a solid run.
- Tunisia: Perfect in Group H with 25 points. They won a close 1-0 game against Equatorial Guinea to seal it.
More teams like Senegal, the Ivory Coast, and Ghana could join soon if they win their last games.
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers Current Standings
Here are the standings after 9 games (or fewer in some groups). We focus on the top teams. Points come from wins (3 points), draws (1 point), and goal difference (GD) breaks ties.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt (Q) | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 2 | +17 | 23 |
| 2 | Burkina Faso (Z) | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 7 | +13 | 18 |
| 3 | Sierra Leone (E) | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 12 |
| 4 | Guinea-Bissau (E) | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 10 |
| 5 | Ethiopia (E) | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 9 |
| 6 | Djibouti (E) | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 31 | −27 | 1 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senegal (X) | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 3 | +15 | 21 |
| 2 | DR Congo (X) | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 6 | +8 | 19 |
| 3 | Sudan (E) | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 13 |
| 4 | Togo (E) | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 7 |
| 5 | Mauritania (E) | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 7 |
| 6 | South Sudan (E) | 9 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 19 | −16 | 4 |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benin | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 17 |
| 2 | South Africa | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 15 |
| 3 | Nigeria | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 14 |
| 4 | Rwanda (E) | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 11 |
| 5 | Lesotho (E) | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 9 |
| 6 | Zimbabwe (E) | 9 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 5 |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Verde (X) | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 20 |
| 2 | Cameroon | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 5 | +12 | 18 |
| 3 | Libya (Z) | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 15 |
| 4 | Angola (E) | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 11 |
| 5 | Mauritius (E) | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 17 | −10 | 5 |
| 6 | Eswatini (E) | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 16 | −10 | 3 |
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morocco (Q) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | +19 | 21 |
| 2 | Niger (Z) | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 12 |
| 3 | Tanzania (E) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 10 |
| 4 | Zambia (Z) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 9 |
| 5 | Congo[a] (E) | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 23 | −19 | 1 |
| 6 | Eritrea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivory Coast (T) | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | +22 | 23 |
| 2 | Gabon (T) | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 22 |
| 3 | Kenya (E) | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 11 | +7 | 12 |
| 4 | Gambia (E) | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 18 | +2 | 10 |
| 5 | Burundi (E) | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 10 |
| 6 | Seychelles (E) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 46 | −44 | 0 |
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algeria (Q) | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 7 | +15 | 22 |
| 2 | Uganda (Z) | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 18 |
| 3 | Mozambique (Z) | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 17 | −4 | 15 |
| 4 | Guinea (E) | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 14 |
| 5 | Botswana (E) | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 14 | −4 | 9 |
| 6 | Somalia (E) | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 19 | −16 | 1 |
Group H
| os | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisia (Q) | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | +19 | 25 |
| 2 | Namibia (E) | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 15 |
| 3 | Liberia (E) | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 14 |
| 4 | Malawi (E) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 10 |
| 5 | Equatorial Guinea (E) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 10 |
| 6 | São Tomé and Príncipe (E) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 26 | −22 | 0 |
Group I
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghana (X) | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 6 | +16 | 22 |
| 2 | Madagascar (X) | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 8 | +8 | 19 |
| 3 | Mali (E) | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 15 |
| 4 | Comoros (E) | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 15 |
| 5 | Central African Republic (E) | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 22 | −14 | 5 |
| 6 | Chad (E) | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 21 | −18 | 1 |
These tables show who is leading. Some groups like C and I are very close!
2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers – Qualified Teams
| Team | 2025 CAF First Round Group | Date Qualified | Debut | Best Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | Group E Winners | 5 September 2025 | 2022 | Fourth place (2022) |
| Tunisia | Group H Winners | 8 September 2025 | 2022 | Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022) |
| Egypt | Group A Winners | 8 October 2025 | 2018 | First round (1934), group stage (1990, 2018) |
| Algeria | Group G Winners | 9 October 2025 | 2014 | Round of 16 (2014) |
Highlights from Recent Matches (Matchday 9)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers Matchday 9 (October 8-10) had exciting games:
- Tunisia beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 to qualify.
- Ghana crushed Central African Republic 5-0, moving closer to qualification.
- Nigeria won 2-1 against Lesotho, keeping their hopes alive.
- South Africa drew 0-0 with Zimbabwe, but a penalty changed a past result, shaking up Group C.
- Senegal thrashed South Sudan 5-0.
- Ivory Coast smashed Seychelles 7-0.
These results made some groups tighter.
Upcoming Matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers (Matchday 10)
The last group games start tomorrow (October 12). Key fixtures:
Here is a summary of the key upcoming and recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with match dates, times, venues, and pairs:
Fri 10 Oct 2025 Matches:
- South Sudan vs Senegal, 17:30, Juba Stadium, Juba
- Togo 0-1 Congo DR, 18:30, Stade de Kégué, Lomé
- Sudan 0-0 Mauritania, 18:30, Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam
- Seychelles 0-7 Côte d’Ivoire, 18:30, Côte d’Or National Sports Complex, Saint Pierre
- The Gambia 3-4 Gabon, 18:30, Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi
- Lesotho 1-2 Nigeria, 21:30, Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
- Zimbabwe 0-0 South Africa, 21:30, Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
- Rwanda 0-1 Benin, 21:30, Stade Amahoro, Kigali
- São Tomé and Príncipe 0-6 Tunisia, 21:30, Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Rades
Sun 12 Oct 2025 Matches:
- Zambia vs Niger, 18:30, Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola
- Chad vs Central African Republic, 21:30, Stade Olympique Idriss Déby Itno, N’Djamena
Mon 13 Oct 2025 Matches:
- Egypt vs Guinea-Bissau, 00:30, Cairo International Stadium, Cairo
- Djibouti vs Sierra Leone, 00:30, Stade Larbi Zaouli, Casablanca
- Burkina Faso vs Ethiopia, 00:30, Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou
- Mali vs Madagascar, 00:30, Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako
- Ghana vs Comoros, 00:30, Accra Sports Stadium, Accra
- South Sudan vs Togo, 17:30, Juba Stadium, Juba
- Tunisia vs Namibia, 18:30, Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Rades
- São Tomé and Príncipe vs Malawi, 18:30, Stade Olympique, Sousse
- Equatorial Guinea vs Liberia, 18:30, Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo
- Lesotho vs Zimbabwe, 21:30, Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
- Cabo Verde vs Eswatini, 21:30, Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Praia
- Cameroon vs Angola, 21:30, Stade Omnisports Ahmadou-Ahidjo, Yaoundé
- Mauritius vs Libya, 21:30, Côte d’Or National Sports Complex, Saint Pierre
Tue 14 Oct 2025 Matches:
- Seychelles vs The Gambia, 18:30, Côte d’Or National Sports Complex, Saint Pierre
- South Africa vs Rwanda, 21:30, Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela
- Nigeria vs Benin, 21:30, Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo
- Algeria vs Uganda, 21:30, Stade Hocine-Aït-Ahmed, Boukhalfa
- Guinea vs Botswana, 21:30, Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca
- Somalia vs Mozambique, 21:30, Miloud Hadefi Olympic Complex, Bir El Djir
Wed 15 Oct 2025 Matches:
- Senegal vs Mauritania, 00:30, Stade Me Abdoulaye Wade, Diamniadio
- Congo DR vs Sudan, 00:30, Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa
- Morocco vs Congo, 00:30, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat
- Côte d’Ivoire vs Kenya, 00:30, Stade Olympique d’Ebimpé, Ebimpé
- Gabon vs Burundi, 00:30, Stade de Franceville, Franceville
What Happens Next in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers?
After the groups end, the top 4 runners-up play the semifinals and a final in November 2025. The winner goes to a global playoff for one more spot. Africa could have 10 teams at the World Cup!