2026 World Cup, 2023 AFCON: the CAF's major announcements

For several weeks now, questions had been mounting over the format of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and, above all, the dates on which the matches would be played. With the global calendar already congested, the idea of combining the 2025 AFCON qualifiers with those for the 2026 World Cup had been floated. In the end, that idea has been scrapped. It is one of the outcomes of the CAF Executive Committee meeting held on 18 May in Algiers. On the sidelines of the U17 AFCON, whose final is being played on 19 May, the governing body's members approved the format of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the match dates and the draws.

Read more on this subject: 2026 World Cup: FIFA makes the expansion to 48 teams official

The very first decision, in fact, does not concern the 2026 World Cup but the 2023 AFCON. Eight months before kick-off, the CAF announced that the official draw for the finals groups will take place on Thursday 12 October. The venue has not been announced, but it is expected to be in Côte d'Ivoire. Another long-awaited date is that of the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying groups. It will be held in Benin on 12 July, on the eve of the CAF's 45th Ordinary General Assembly, which will take place in Cotonou.

A CAF play-off tournament to decide the entrant for the intercontinental play-off

As for the format, the CAF has opted for a new formula for the continent, with full-scale qualifiers involving all 54 member federations. There will be no preliminary rounds this time. Under the new format, 54 nations will be split into 9 groups of 6 teams each. The group winners, after the 10 qualifying matchdays, will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. The four best runners-up (2nd place) will still have a chance of qualifying, as they will face each other in a play-off tournament for the CAF zone.

The winner of this four-team tournament will go on to play in FIFA's intercontinental play-off. If successful, they will then qualify for the finals. It is a long road that begins on 13 November. That is when the 1st matchday of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers will be played, with the programme running until 10 October 2025, the date of the 10th and final matchday. The CAF zone play-off tournament will be played from 10 to 18 November 2025, while the FIFA play-offs will take place in March 2026.

• Date of the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying groups

Wednesday 12 July

• Date of the draw for the 2023 AFCON groups

Thursday 12 October

• 2026 World Cup qualifying dates

13 to 21 November 2023: 1st and 2nd matchdays

3 to 11 June 2024: 3rd and 4th matchdays

17 to 25 March 2025: 5th and 6th matchdays

1 to 9 September 2025: 7th and 8th matchdays

6 to 10 October 2025: 9th and 10th matchdays

10 to 18 November 2025: CAF zone play-off tournament between the 4 best 2nd-placed teams

March 2026: FIFA intercontinental play-off tournament