The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the venues, dates, and format for the 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoff, setting the stage for a decisive showdown in November 2025.
In a letter circulated to all member federations, CAF confirmed that Morocco: host nation of the upcoming AFCON 2025: will also stage the African play-offs for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
According to the schedule, the semi-final matches of the four-team mini-tournament will take place on November 13, 2025, while the final will be played on November 16, 2025.
The CAF playoff competition will feature the four best runners-up from the nine qualifying groups, determined after Matchday 10 of the qualifiers.
CAF outlined that in the event of a draw, matches will proceed to extra time and, if necessary, penalty shootouts. Teams will be allowed five substitutions, with a sixth permitted during extra time.
The October 2025 FIFA World Rankings, set to be published on October 23, will determine the draw and seeding for the play-offs.
The highest-ranked team will face the fourth-ranked in one semi-final, while the second and third ranked sides will meet in the other.
The winner of the Moroccan play-off tournament will advance to the intercontinental play-off scheduled for March 2026, where they will compete against teams from Asia, South America, Oceania, and Concacaf for a chance to claim Africa’s 10th and final slot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
