Morocco has been confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as the host nation for Africa’s four-team World Cup playoffs set for next month. The tournament offers one African country a pathway to an additional slot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
All nine winners of the African qualifying groups automatically secure places at the finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. However, one more spot could be available through a playoff route involving the four best runners-up from the qualifying groups.
These four teams will compete in a mini-tournament in Morocco in November to determine a single representative for the intercontinental playoffs, slated for March 2025. The winner of that intercontinental showdown will join the expanded 48-team field at the World Cup.
The final list of teams for the African playoff will only be confirmed after the group matches conclude on Tuesday. Two semi-finals will be played on November 13 at yet-to-be-named venues in Morocco, followed by the final on November 16.
Team pairings for the semi-finals will be determined by the FIFA rankings to be released on October 23. The highest-ranked team will face the lowest-ranked, while the second-highest will play the third-highest.
So far, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, and Ghana have already qualified for the 2026 finals. Group C is still undecided, with Benin, Nigeria, and South Africa all in contention in their final fixtures today.
Morocco continues to position itself as a major hub for African and global football. The country will host the Africa Cup of Nations from December 21 to January 18 and will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Portugal and Spain.
It is also set to host the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the third time in a row next year, as well as the U-17 Women’s World Cup, which begins next Friday. Additionally, Morocco’s stadiums are frequently used by other African nations whose facilities do not meet international standards.
However, the country’s heavy investment in sports infrastructure and events has sparked youth-led unrest earlier this month, reflecting growing socio-economic frustrations. —Reuters
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