The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will have a record number of slots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Due to the tournament's expansion from 32 to 48 teams, FIFA has allocated 9 direct qualification spots to CAF, a significant increase from the 5 spots available for the 2022 tournament.
An additional slot is available through a 6-team inter-confederation playoff tournament. This means Africa could potentially be represented by 9 or 10 nations, marking a historic high for the continent. The precise format for the African qualifiers, which will determine these teams, has been confirmed by CAF.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams. The increased allocation for Africa reflects FIFA's stated goal of making the tournament more globally inclusive. The qualification process is expected to begin in the coming years ahead of the 2026 event.
