World Cup
Africa’s World Cup hopefuls await 2026 draw as historic 48-team tournament takes shape
Africa’s nine qualified nations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will discover their group-stage opponents on Friday, as the draw for the expanded 48-team tournament takes place in Washington D.C.
The ceremony, hosted at the Kennedy Center, begins at 7pm CAT (5pm GMT) and marks the first major milestone in the final build-up to a World Cup that will span Canada, the United States and Mexico between 11 June and 18 July 2026.
For African teams, the draw represents more than just the unveiling of opponents.
It signals the first step in a campaign that many believe could be the continent’s most promising in decades, coming after Morocco’s historic semi-final run at Qatar 2022 — the first by any African nation.
Africa’s contingent is already confirmed: Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cape Verde and South Africa all topped their qualifying groups and secured automatic places at the tournament.
Under the new 48-team format, the World Cup will feature 12 groups of four, with teams drawn from four seeded pots based on the latest FIFA rankings.
Crucially for African sides, FIFA’s geographic restrictions ensure no group may contain more than one CAF nation, removing the possibility of early all-African clashes and guaranteeing nine separate African representatives across the groups.
Morocco and Senegal, currently Africa’s highest-ranked teams, enter the draw in Pot 2, avoiding some of the continent’s toughest potential opponents and increasing their chances of a favourable path.
Five African nations — Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa — are placed in Pot 3, setting up the possibility of complex, highly competitive groups.
Meanwhile, Ghana and Cape Verde, both positioned in Pot 4, face the toughest draw conditions and are expected to be matched with a Pot 1 global powerhouse.
Pot 1 contains the strongest nations at the tournament, including Germany, Brazil, France, Spain, England, Argentina and the three co-hosts — the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The presence of Europe’s heavyweights in every group guarantees difficult assignments, though African sides have increasingly shown an ability to compete with, and even surpass, world football’s elite.
Morocco’s run to the last four at Qatar 2022 remains the clearest example, but Senegal, Tunisia and Ghana all made significant impressions at recent tournaments, and Côte d’Ivoire and Algeria carry squads brimming with top-level European experience.
While 42 teams have already qualified, six World Cup spots remain undecided.
Four will come from the UEFA play-offs, featuring heavyweight nations such as Italy, Turkey, Sweden and Poland.
The remaining two places will be settled through the Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament in March, involving Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname, New Caledonia, Iraq and DR Congo.
If Leopards qualify through the playoffs, they will be protected from facing any CAF nation in the group stage due to confederation separation rules.
What African teams can expect today
The procedure follows standard FIFA format:
- Teams are placed into four pots.
- One team from each pot is drawn into each of the 12 groups (A–L).
- The three host nations automatically take positions A1, B1 and D1.
- Geographic restrictions apply for all confederations except UEFA, which may have up to two European teams per group due to its large number of qualifiers.
FIFA has also confirmed that the top four ranked teams worldwide — Spain, Argentina, France and England — will be separated across the draw to avoid meeting before the semi-final stage, provided they top their groups.
For African sides, the draw will determine not only their opponents but also their match venues, travel routes, rest periods and potential knockout pathways across a tournament hosted over three vast countries.
A pivotal moment for African football
With unprecedented squad depth across the continent and a World Cup format offering more places and more knockout berths, African football enters the draw with a renewed sense of possibility.
Whether Morocco can build on their 2022 heroics, or whether another African nation emerges as a surprise contender, will begin to take shape tonight when the 2026 World Cup map is finally revealed.
Below are the pots for the 2026 World Cup draw
Pot 1: France, Canada, Mexico, United States, Spain, Argentina, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Saudi Arabia, Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, winners of European play-offs A, B, C and D, winners of intercontinental play-offs 1 and 2.
-Cafonline
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Basketball legend Magic Johnson has rallied football fans across the globe to choose Los Angeles as their preferred destination for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the city as the “sports capital of the world.”
Speaking during a “30 Days to FIFA World Cup 2026” event held at SoFi Stadium on Tuesday, the former NBA superstar said Los Angeles was preparing to offer visitors much more than football matches during the global tournament.
“The world game is coming to the greatest city in the world,” Johnson declared at the ceremony, which was organised to promote both the World Cup and Los Angeles’ reputation as a major global sporting and entertainment centre.
Johnson, a five-time NBA champion and three-time Most Valuable Player, noted that the city was entering a historic sporting era, with the World Cup, the NFL Super Bowl and the 2028 Summer Olympics all scheduled within the next few years.
Los Angeles will stage eight World Cup matches involving teams such as the United States, Paraguay, Iran, New Zealand, Switzerland, Bosnia, Belgium and Turkey.
The 2026 tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will feature an expanded 48-team format across 16 host cities in North America.
According to Kathryn Schloessman, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission and head of the local host committee, supporters can expect a “giant soccer carnival” across the city throughout the competition.
Organisers also stressed the availability of affordable transportation, highlighting stadium transit fares costing as little as $1.75 — a sharp contrast to transportation and event pricing concerns raised in some East Coast host cities.
Despite the excitement surrounding the tournament, debate has continued over the World Cup’s economic and social impact. Critics have expressed fears about rising housing costs, pressure on public services, homelessness and the financial burden on taxpayers.
Los Angeles is also scheduled to host the U.S. opening ceremony of the World Cup on June 12, with pop star Katy Perry expected to headline the entertainment programme. The event follows opening celebrations in Mexico City and Toronto, reflecting the tournament’s tri-nation hosting arrangement.
Although internationally recognised for franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, the city has also enjoyed a rich football culture through the LA Galaxy, which previously attracted stars such as David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Steven Gerrard.
To further boost excitement ahead of the tournament, the Los Angeles World Cup committee has enlisted celebrities including Snoop Dogg, Eva Longoria and Will Ferrell as community ambassadors.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Ouahbi Steps Up Morocco’s World Cup Build-Up With Three Warm-Up Games
Free Soccer-Themed Condoms to Welcome World Cup Fans
Magic Johnson Leads Campaign to Showcase Los Angeles Ahead of World Cup
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- World Cup5 days ago
FIFA Plans Three Opening Ceremonies in All Host Nations for 2026 World Cup
- World Cup4 days ago
United States Unveils Hollywood-Style FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony
- World Cup4 days ago
Mexico president wavers on plan to cut school year by 40 days for the World Cup
- World Cup5 days ago
Burna Boy Joins Shakira for Official 2026 World Cup Song ‘Dai Dai’
- World Cup1 week ago
Despite 2026 Absence, Nigeria Still Leads Africa’s World Cup Winners’ Chart
- Premier League5 days ago
Man United’s Fernandes and City’s Shaw win FWA Footballer of the Year awards
- Nigerian Football5 days ago
Sporting Lagos Crowned 2026 NNL Champions After Dramatic Super Four Finale
- Premier League2 days ago
Arsenal survive huge scare to edge towards title