The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the full format, schedule, and venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoffs, which will determine the continent’s final qualification slot for the tournament.
In a circular sent to all member associations, CAF announced that the mini-playoff tournament will take place in Morocco, which is also set to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
🗓 Key Dates
Semi-finals: November 13, 2025
Final: November 16, 2025
📍 Venue
Morocco will host the playoff tournament, centralising logistics and ensuring high-standard infrastructure ahead of AFCON 2025.
⚙️ Playoff Format
The playoffs will feature the four best runners-up from the nine African qualification groups (Matchday 10 standings).
The October 2025 FIFA World Rankings (to be released October 23) will be used to determine seedings for the semi-final draw:
1st-ranked team vs 4th-ranked team
2nd-ranked team vs 3rd-ranked team
Single-leg knockout format.
In the event of a draw:
Extra time, followed by penalties if needed.
Substitution rule: 5 regular subs, with a sixth allowed during extra time.
🇳🇬 Nigeria’s Status
Nigeria secured a playoff place with a dominant 4–0 win over Benin on the final day of group play.
The Super Eagles are expected to be among the top four runners-up, pending confirmation via FIFA rankings.
🏆 What’s at Stake
The winner of the Moroccan playoff tournament will advance to the intercontinental playoff in March 2026.
That tournament will include teams from:
Asia (AFC)
South America (CONMEBOL)
Oceania (OFC)
North & Central America (CONCACAF)
Only one of the four African playoff participants will advance to compete for Africa’s 10th and final ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
🆚 Likely Opponents for Nigeria
Based on current standings and projections, Nigeria could face any of the following teams in the playoff:
Cameroon
Gabon
Burkina Faso
DR Congo
Final seedings will depend on the October FIFA rankings, which will dictate the playoff matchups.
