FIFA Playoff Tournament 2026 explained: format, dates, African qualifiers and venue details | OneFootball

Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon to battle in Rabat for Africa’s spot before global showdown

FIFA Playoff Tournament 2026 explained: format, dates, African qualifiers and venue details

The countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially begun and with qualification almost complete across the globe, the fight for the final two ticket is set to take centre stage next March.

The upcoming "FIFA Playoff Tournament" will determine the last two nation to join the historic 48 team World Cup which will be co-hosted by the U.S, Canada and Mexico from 11 Jun to 19 July 2026.

Format & System

The mini tournament introduced by FIFA as part of the new World Cup structure, will feature six team each representing one of football’s continental confederations:

Europe (UEFA) is excluded from this playoff since its 16 World Cup spot are determined through separate qualification process.

The six nation will be divided into two path, each containing one seeded team and two unseeded team.

All matches will be played on single-leg knockout basis — if level after 90 minute, extra time and penalties will apply.

The playoff will take place in Mexico during the March 2026 international window (23-31 March).

The African Path

Before the intercontinental stage, Africa’s representative will be determined through special four-team African playoff held in Rabat, Morocco in November 2025.

The participating teams are the best four runners up from CAF’s World Cup qualifying groups:

Schedule (Rabat, Morocco):

Broadcasters: beIN SPORTS & FIFA+

The winner of this African mini tournament will advance to the global playoff in March 2026 needing just one more win to reach the World Cup.

Global Playoff Structure

The draw for the intercontinental playoff will be held on Thursday 20 November 2025 at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.