With the 2026 FIFA World Cup expanding to 48 teams, qualification formats have evolved — especially for Africa (CAF). Here’s a full breakdown of how the CAF Playoffs and Intercontinental Playoffs will work.
1️⃣ CAF (Africa) Playoffs
These are for African teams that don’t qualify directly through their World Cup qualifying groups.
⚙️ How it works:
• Africa (CAF) has 9 direct World Cup slots.
• There are 9 qualifying groups, and only the group winners qualify automatically.
• The 4 best runners-up (second-place teams across all groups) advance to the CAF Playoff.
🏆 CAF Playoff Format:
1. The four teams face off in a mini knockout tournament:
• Two semifinals (single-leg matches played at neutral venues)
• One final (the winners of the semifinals meet for the ultimate spot)
2. The winner of the final advances to the Intercontinental Playoff.
2️⃣ Intercontinental Playoffs (Global Playoffs)
This is the final global qualification stage — six teams from different continents compete for the last two World Cup tickets.
⚙️ Teams involved:
• 1 team from CAF (Africa)
• 1 from AFC (Asia)
• 1 from CONMEBOL (South America)
• 1 from OFC (Oceania)
• 2 from CONCACAF (North/Central America & Caribbean)
(Note: Since the 2026 World Cup hosts — USA, Canada, and Mexico — qualify automatically, CONCACAF gets two playoff slots.)
🏁 Format of the Intercontinental Playoffs:
According to FIFA’s official structure:
1. Teams are seeded by FIFA World Ranking.
• The two highest-ranked teams get byes to the final playoff round.
2. The remaining four teams play single-leg semifinals.
• The two winners advance to face the top seeds.
3. The winners of those final matches qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
📍 All matches will be held in North America in March 2026, serving as both a test event for stadiums and a final qualification showdown.
🇨🇲🇬🇦🇳🇬🇧🇫 CAF Playoff Contenders (as it stands):
• Cameroon
• Gabon
• Nigeria
• Burkina Faso / DR Congo (to be confirmed)
Only one of these African giants will earn a place in the Intercontinental Playoff — and a final shot at World Cup glory.