On May 18, 2023, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) convened in Algiers for an important meeting. During the gathering, several crucial decisions were made regarding CAF competitions, including the format for the qualifiers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The agreed-upon format entails the creation of nine groups, with each group comprising six teams. The top nine teams from each group will secure direct qualification for the FIFA World Cup. However, an additional opportunity was introduced to determine the tenth representative from Africa.
To determine the tenth spot, the four best second-placed teams from the groups will engage in a playoff. The winner of this playoff will then face a team from the CONCACAF zone in a crucial match that will decide the final participant in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The qualification process is scheduled to take place from November 2023 to November 2025. The first and second matchdays are set to be played in November 2023, followed by the third and fourth matchdays in June 2024. Matches will continue from the fifth to the tenth matchday, taking place throughout the entirety of 2025.
Additionally, it was announced that the draw for the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 tournament will occur on July 12, 2023. This draw will take place a day before the ordinary general meeting of CAF in Cotonou.
