FIFA Announces 2026 WAFCON as Qualifier for Africa's 2027 Women's World Cup Spots

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will play a crucial role in determining the first four African teams to secure a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with two additional nations to be given a second chance through a play-off tournament, as announced by FIFA.

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The tournament, scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 16, 2026, will serve as the qualifying competition for Africa in the expanded Women’s World Cup, according to a qualification guide published by FIFA on its website on Sunday.

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A total of 16 countries will participate in the tournament, including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.

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These teams will be divided into four groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals, as explained by FIFA.

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FIFA stated that all four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, marking a significant milestone in the qualification process.

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The world football governing body further clarified that the four losing quarter-finalists will not be eliminated entirely, but instead will compete in play-off matches to determine the two African teams that will qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament.

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The intercontinental play-off tournament will feature 10 nations, comprising two teams each from Africa, Asia, Concacaf, and South America, as well as one team each from Oceania and Europe, according to FIFA.

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The tournament will be held in two phases, with the first phase taking place in November and December 2026, and the final phase scheduled for February 2027.

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FIFA outlined the tournament format, stating that the six teams will be drawn into three paths, with a direct knockout match to determine the final three teams qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, and teams from the same confederation will not be permitted to be drawn in the same pathway.

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Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, is bidding for a record 10th consecutive Women’s World Cup appearance, having featured in every edition since the inaugural tournament in 1991.

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Ghana has appeared at three Women’s World Cups, while Cameroon and South Africa have each qualified twice, and Morocco, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea have each made one appearance at the global tournament.

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The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be hosted by Brazil from June 24 to July 25, marking the first time the competition will be staged in South America.