The race to the 2026 World Cup: Cape Verde book first-ever finals appearance

Qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup began connected Oct. 12, 2023, erstwhile countries from the Asian confederation played their archetypal circular of matches. Myanmar's Lwin Moe Aung scored the precise archetypal extremity successful a 5-1 triumph implicit Macau.

All confederations are drafting to a close, but we're inactive a agelong mode from discovering the afloat database of 45 nations that volition articulation hosts United States, Mexico and Canada to marque up the tract of 48.

Japan were the precise archetypal state to qualify connected March 20.

QUALIFIED (19/45): Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde

What tin beryllium decided successful October?

Europe and Concacaf: Qualifying doesn't extremity until November, but we could spot the archetypal fewer European countries publication their places.

Africa: The last 2 rounds of the radical signifier instrumentality spot successful October, erstwhile we volition observe the 7 nations that volition articulation Morocco and Tunisia, positive the interconfederation playoff contenders.

Asia: The 4th circular is played successful October, erstwhile we volition find retired the last 2 automatic qualifiers, on with the 2 interconfederation playoff contenders.

South America and Oceania: Qualification complete.

Africa (CAF)
9 car + 1 enters playoff

There were 54 FIFA-affiliated nations successful the draw. However, Eritrea subsequently withdrew.

Round 1: The teams are successful 8 groups of six nations, and 1 radical of 5 (with Eritrea removed).

The 9 radical winners suffice for the World Cup.

This signifier began successful November 2023 and volition beryllium completed with 2 rounds to beryllium played successful October.

QUALIFIED (6/9): Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde

How teams tin suffice arsenic the radical signifier ends this week

NB: To find the champion second-place teams, the results of the squad to decorativeness sixth successful the six-team groups are removed.

SUNDAY

Group A: EGYPT (23) qualified with a 3-0 triumph implicit rock-bottom Djibouti (1) connected Wednesday, connected the backmost of 2 goals from Mohamed Salah. On Sunday, Burkina Faso (21) enactment themselves successful with a precise beardown accidental of 1 of the playoff spots with a 3-1 triumph implicit Ethiopia.

Group E: MOROCCO (21) person qualified. Niger (15) confirmed 2nd spot by winning successful Zambia connected Sunday, and they indispensable present hold to spot if they person capable points for a playoff.

Group I: GHANA (25) won 1-0 astatine location to Comoros (15) to go the 18th squad to qualify. Madagascar (19) suffered a damaging 4-1 decision to Mali (15), which each but leaves them retired of contention for a champion runners-up spot.

MONDAY

Group D: CAPE VERDE ISLANDS (23) eased to a debut World Cup quality by winning 3-0 astatine location to Eswatini (3) connected Monday. Cameroon could lone gully 0-0 astatine location to Angola, but their extremity quality efficaciously ensures they volition beryllium successful circular 2 successful November.

Group H: TUNISIA (28) person qualified. Namibia (15) took 2nd spot but they person the worst grounds of each the runners-up and volition not beryllium successful the playoffs.

TUESDAY

Group B: Qualification is successful Senegal's (21) hands up of a favorable fixture astatine location to Mauritania (7) connected Tuesday, and triumph volition warrant a spot successful the finals. Second-placed DR Congo (19) big Sudan (13) and indispensable triumph portion hoping Senegal suffer to instrumentality archetypal place. DR Congo are conscionable wrong the apical 4 for the champion runners-up, truthful besides request a triumph to rubber-stamp a playoff. Only those 2 countries are successful contention.

Group C: The radical was blown wide unfastened aft South Africa (15, +3) saw their 2-0 triumph implicit Lesotho (9) go a 3-0 decision Read Entire Article