By FIFA has officially confirmed Democratic Republic of the Congo as Africa’s representative in the inter-confederation play-off tournament for the 2026 World Cup, extinguishing Nigeria’s lingering qualification hopes.
The announcement was contained in an accreditation notice circulated to journalists ahead of the competition, where FIFA also outlined the format and unveiled the six participating countries. DR Congo’s confirmation comes despite a protest lodged by the Nigeria Football Federation following Nigeria’s defeat in the CAF play-offs in November 2025.
The decisive encounter ended 1-1 before Nigeria lost on penalties. The NFF had alleged that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the match and formally appealed for the result to be overturned, seeking to secure the Super Eagles’ place in the inter-confederation play-offs. However, FIFA’s final list of qualified teams indicates that the appeal did not succeed.
In a statement, FIFA said the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament will be see six teams fight it out for the final two places at the expanded tournament, which will be hosted across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The six confirmed teams are Bolivia, Congo DR, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname. The play-off tournament is scheduled to commence on March 26.
