World Cup
African Teams Weigh Prospects as FIFA Unveils World Cup 2026 Draw Procedure
African contenders for the 2026 FIFA World Cup now have a clearer picture of their potential paths after FIFA on Tuesday released the draw procedure for the expanded 48-team tournament.
The reveal has triggered fresh calculations among CAF nations, particularly Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa, all of whom occupy key seedings ahead of the December 5 draw in Washington.
Crucially, the revised format ensures that the world’s top four teams — Spain, Argentina, France and England — cannot meet before the semi-finals provided they all win their groups. That creates a more predictable bracket for African sides hoping to avoid early clashes with global heavyweights in the group or early knockout phase.
Morocco Lead Africa’s Charge in Pot 2
Africa’s highest-ranked team, Morocco, headline the continent’s representation in Pot 2, joining Croatia, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia.
The Atlas Lions — World Cup semi-finalists in 2022 — will be looking closely at how the pot structure could determine their route as they aim for another historic run.
Senegal, Africa’s second-highest placed team in the pot, also benefit from a relatively favourable seeding that should help them avoid the strongest UEFA and CONMEBOL sides in the group stage.
Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire in Tricky Pot 3
The North African trio of Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia, along with Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa, find themselves in Pot 3, where potential matchups get far more unpredictable.
This group could be drawn against giants like Spain or Argentina in the opening round, or placed in comparatively balanced groups depending on where Pot 1 and Pot 2 teams fall.
For Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire—regular World Cup qualifiers—the priority will be avoiding early pairings with two European teams, a scenario made possible by UEFA’s expanded 16-team participation.
Ghana, Cape Verde and Potential Play-Off Winners in Pot 4
Ghana and Cape Verde are among the African nations listed in Pot 4, alongside Jordan, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand and winners from the FIFA Play-Offs.
The pot also leaves room for two African hopefuls who may emerge from the intercontinental play-off tournament.
As the lowest-seeded African participants, Ghana and Cape Verde face the prospect of entering challenging groups with as many as two top-20 teams — one from Pot 1 and another from Pot 2.
Confederation Rules Still Apply
FIFA’s confederation restriction remains in force:
- No group can feature more than one team from the same confederation, except UEFA, which is permitted to have two teams in a group due to its 16 representatives.
For CAF teams, this means avoiding each other in the group stage, but also increases the likelihood of exposure to multiple European opponents.
Countdown to the Draw
The World Cup draw will take place on December 5 in Washington, with the full match schedule — including venues and kick-off times — to be released a day later.
The tournament itself kicks off June 11, 2026, across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with the final set for July 19 in New Jersey.
For Africa’s representatives, the unveiling of the draw format marks the beginning of strategic planning, tactical mapping and renewed hopes of surpassing the continent’s impressive 2022 milestone.
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The White House refuted reports that the United States denied visas for five members of Iraq’s national team ahead of next month’s World Cup.
The State Department sent a statement on Wednesday to Front Office Sports in response to online reports involving five players, including Luton Town forward Ali Al-Hamadi.
“Currently, there are no known issues affecting the Iraq National Team players, and they remain on track to compete in the World Cup,” the statement reads. “We maintain daily communication with FIFA and will continue to prioritise these players in accordance with the President’s Executive Order, ensuring an incredible and safe tournament.”
The Iraqi Football Association also quashed the rumours that had circulated on social media on Tuesday.
“The news is false, and the truth is that all the national team players have obtained entry visas to America,” it said, per the Iraqi news site The New Region, adding that the players are also in the process of getting Canadian visas.
Iraq is in a tough Group I for this summer’s FIFA World Cup in North America, along with France, Senegal and Norway. Iraq is scheduled to play games in Foxborough, Mass. (June 16 vs. Norway), Philadelphia (June 22 vs. France) and in Toronto (June 26 vs. Senegal).
-Reuters
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With less than a month to the start of the FIFA World Cup, Morocco have lined up three warm-up matches as new coach Mohamed Ouahbi seeks more time to fine-tune his squad ahead of the global showpiece in the United States.
The North Africans, who stunned the football world by reaching the semi-finals at the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, appointed Ouahbi in March following the resignation of Walid Regragui.
Since taking over, Ouahbi has handled only two matches, drawing against Ecuador and defeating Paraguay as he began shaping his team for the tournament.
According to the Moroccan Football Federation, the Atlas Lions will open their preparations with a closed-door friendly against Burundi on May 26 at the team’s training centre in Sale.
They will then face Madagascar on June 2 in Rabat in what is expected to serve as the team’s official send-off before departure for the World Cup.
After arriving in the United States, where Morocco’s base camp will be located in Basking Ridge, the team will conclude their preparations with a clash against Norway on June 7 in New York City.
Reports indicate that Morocco will begin camping on May 22, although the final squad is not expected to be announced until a week later.
Morocco have been drawn in Group C of the World Cup, where they will open their campaign against Brazil on June 13 in New York before taking on Scotland in Boston on June 19. Their final group match will be against Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta.
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As preparations intensify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, health authorities in Toronto are taking a creative approach to public awareness by distributing free football-themed condoms ahead of the tournament.
Toronto Public Health (TPH) announced that it will offer limited-edition condoms inspired by football as part of efforts to promote safer sex during the global football spectacle, which runs from June 11 to July 19 next year.
More than 300,000 visitors are expected in Toronto during the tournament, prompting city officials to combine football excitement with sexual health education through the CondomTO initiative.
The special-edition condoms feature six football-themed designs and slogans, including “Block those shots!”, “What a finish!” and “Peaches & Cream.” One of the designs reportedly displays a peach and eggplant positioned in front of a football goalpost.
According to Toronto Public Health, the condoms and other safer-sex supplies will be available at four TPH-operated sexual health clinics across the city.
Health officials said the initiative is aimed at encouraging responsible sexual behaviour, reducing stigma surrounding sexual health discussions and connecting residents and visitors with available healthcare services.
“Studies show that using a condom every time you have oral, anal or vaginal sex decreases the risk of sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections, HIV and/or unplanned pregnancy,” Toronto Public Health stated on its website.
Canada will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico in the first-ever 48-team edition of the tournament.
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