Twenty-Nine countries from six continents have now secured their places at the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the latest qualification updates released after Thursday’s fixtures.
Africa has already confirmed nine representatives following the conclusion of its qualification series. Two additional teams—Nigeria and DR Congo—are still in contention, with both nations set to battle for a continental playoff ticket that will send one of them into the next qualification stage.
Below is the updated list of nations already guaranteed spots at the 2026 global finals:
Qualified Teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (as of Friday afternoon)
| Confederation | Qualified Nations |
|---|---|
| Host Nations | Canada, Mexico, United States |
| Africa (CAF) | Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia |
| Asia (AFC) | Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan |
| Europe (UEFA) | England, France |
| Oceania (OFC) | New Zealand |
| South America (CONMEBOL) | Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay |
Nigeria vs DR Congo: The Decisive Playoff Showdown
The final spot from Africa will be contested this Sunday in Morocco, where the Super Eagles of Nigeria will face the Leopards of DR Congo in the concluding match of the CAF playoffs.
The fixture was confirmed after both sides secured crucial victories in Thursday’s semi-final clashes held in Rabat. DR Congo edged Cameroon 1–0 at the Stade El Barid to book their place in the final. Nigeria, meanwhile, powered past Gabon with a dominant 4–1 win after extra time at the Moulay Hassan Stadium.
The winner of Sunday’s high-stakes encounter will advance to the six-team intercontinental playoffs scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico. That mini-tournament will ultimately determine the final two nations to complete the lineup for the 2026 World Cup being jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
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