WC Qualification Africa (CAF)
› All results, tables and qualified teams of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Africa
Morocco qualifies automatically as 2030 World Cup host. For the remaining African places CAF is planning a group format with nine groups of six teams, similar to the 2026 qualifiers.
| Spots | Teams in qualifying | Format |
|---|
| 9+1* | 54 | 9 groups of 6 (planned) |
Qualified automatically
- Morocco – Host of the 2030 World Cup
Planned group stage
| Format | Teams | Groups | Qualification |
|---|
| Home and away | 54 | 9 groups of 6 | Group winners qualify directly |
* including intercontinental play-offs | start date not yet officially announced
Schedule
The key dates up to the 2030 World Cup – officially confirmed, planned or expected based on the 2026 cycle:
| Date | What happens | Status |
|---|
| to be confirmed | Africa: start of the group stage with nine groups of six – for 2026 it began in November 2023, about two and a half years before the tournament | to be confirmed |
| late 2029 | Final draw for the World Cup (for 2026 it was held on 5 December 2025) | expected |
| March 2030 | European play-offs and intercontinental play-offs for the last World Cup tickets | expected |
| 8 June – 21 July 2030 | 2030 World Cup: centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, then the tournament in Spain, Portugal and Morocco up to the final on 21 July | official |
Still open: the start dates in Africa, Asia and Oceania, and whether the 2030 World Cup will have 48 or 64 teams – which also decides the number of places. We update this schedule as soon as the confederations confirm dates.