The Federation International Football Association (FIFA) on Wednesday officially unveiled the final list of countries participating in the inter-confederation play-off tournament, confirming Democratic Republic of the Congo as Africa’s representative.
The announcement effectively ends Nigeria’s hopes of securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup through the play-off route.
In an accreditation notice issued to journalists ahead of the competition, FIFA outlined the structure of the tournament and confirmed the six nations that will compete for the remaining qualification slots.
DR Congo’s confirmation follows the unsuccessful challenge mounted by the Nigeria Football Federation after the Super Eagles’ defeat in the CAF play-offs in November 2025.
Nigeria had filed a formal protest, alleging that DR Congo featured ineligible players during the decisive encounter, which ended 1–1 before proceeding to penalties, where Nigeria lost.
The federation’s appeal sought a reversal of the result and Nigeria’s reinstatement into the inter-confederation play-offs.
Confirming the participating teams, FIFA stated, “The FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament will see six teams fight it out for the final two places at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, to be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 Host Cities.”
“All of the six teams have now been decided, with Bolivia, Congo DR, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname confirmed as qualifiers.”
The play-off competition is scheduled to commence on March 26, with two final World Cup tickets at stake.
