World Cup 2026: 9 African teams qualify directly, 1 team enters the playoff

Besides the 9 group winners who qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, the 4 best runners-up in the qualifiers will compete in the African playoff round held in Morocco. The winner of this playoff will earn the chance to compete in the intercontinental playoff, giving Africa a potential 10th spot at the upcoming World Cup. This format provides strong second-place teams like Nigeria and Cameroon a second opportunity to reach the World Cup.

Morocco topped Group E with 24 points, winning all 8 matches. The Moroccan team scored 22 goals and conceded only 2 (goal difference +20). Morocco is also the first African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, securing their place with two matches remaining. This will be Morocco’s sixth World Cup appearance, following their semi-final run in 2022.

Algeria led Group G with 25 points after 8 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. They scored 24 goals and conceded 8, finishing with a +16 goal difference. This marks Algeria’s first return to the World Cup since 2014 and their fifth overall. Mohamed Amoura is currently Algeria’s top scorer in the qualifiers with 10 goals.

Egypt topped Group A with 26 points, winning 8 matches and drawing 2 without any defeats. They scored 20 goals and conceded just 2 (goal difference +18). Mohamed Salah contributed directly or indirectly to 12 goals. Egypt secured their World Cup spot after a 3–0 victory over Djibouti. This will be Egypt’s fourth World Cup appearance.

Tunisia qualified for the 2026 World Cup thanks to a late goal. In Group H, they needed a win in their final match against Equatorial Guinea. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane scored in the 94th minute to secure a 1–0 victory, clinching their qualification. Tunisia finished the qualifying campaign undefeated and without conceding a goal. This marks Tunisia’s sixth World Cup qualification.

Ghana leads Group I with 25 points, 6 points ahead of Madagascar. The team recorded 8 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, scoring 23 goals and conceding 6. The "Black Stars" will participate in their fifth World Cup.
Ivory Coast topped Group F with 26 points, remaining unbeaten with 8 wins and 2 draws. They scored 25 goals and did not concede any (goal difference +25). This is Ivory Coast’s first World Cup appearance since 2014 and their third overall.

South Africa qualified for the 2026 World Cup by finishing first in Group H. They earned 23 points with 7 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. South Africa scored 18 goals and conceded 7, marking their first World Cup return since hosting the tournament in 2010.

Senegal topped Group B with 24 points, after 7 wins and 3 draws. They scored 22 goals and conceded only 3. This marks Senegal’s third consecutive World Cup appearance.

Cape Verde made history by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time. They led Group D with 23 points, achieving 7 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss, scoring 16 goals and conceding 8. Their 3–0 win over Eswatini secured their spot.

The final African playoff to determine the 10th World Cup spot in 2026 will be a knockout round involving 4 teams, hosted in Morocco. The participants are the 4 best runners-up from the recently concluded qualifiers.

The playoff semifinals will take place on November 13, with the final on November 16. Gabon will face Nigeria, while the Democratic Republic of Congo will play against Cameroon. The two semifinal winners will meet in the final, and the victor will advance to the intercontinental playoff, competing against teams from Asia, CONCACAF, Oceania, and others for the last two places at the 2026 World Cup.