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CAF confirms dates and format for 2026 FIFA World Cup African Playoffs
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed the venues, dates, and format for the highly anticipated African playoff tournament that will determine the continent’s final representative at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, setting up a thrilling finale in November 2025.
In a circular sent to all member associations on Monday, CAF announced that Morocco — already the host of the upcoming AFCON 2025 — will also stage the four-team playoff tournament, which will decide Africa’s participant in the intercontinental play-off round.
Tournament Schedule and Format
The semi-final matches will be played on November 13, 2025, while the final is scheduled for November 16, 2025, all in Morocco.
The mini-tournament will feature the four best runners-up from the nine World Cup qualifying groups, as determined after Matchday 10 of the African qualifiers.
In case of a draw, matches will go into extra time and, if necessary, be decided by penalty shootouts. Teams will be allowed five substitutions, with an additional sixth substitution permitted during extra time.
Seeding and Draw Procedure
CAF further confirmed that the October 2025 FIFA World Rankings, to be released on October 23, will determine the seeding for the playoff draw.
The highest-ranked team will face the fourth-ranked in one semi-final.
The second-ranked will meet the third-ranked in the other.
Road to the World Stage
The winner of the Moroccan playoff tournament will advance to the intercontinental play-off scheduled for March 2026, where they will battle teams from Asia, South America, Oceania, and Concacaf for a spot in the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup — securing Africa’s 10th and final ticket to the global showpiece.
