The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced that Morocco will host the final African playoff tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a critical four-team mini-tournament scheduled for November 2025.
The decisive competition will determine Africa’s tenth and final representative in the intercontinental playoff round.
Key Dates and Teams
Semi-Finals: November 13, 2025
Final: November 16, 2025
Venue: Morocco
Participants: The four best runners-up from the nine qualifying groups, determined after the conclusion of Matchday 10 of the qualifiers.
Playoff Format Details
CAF outlined the following rules in a circular sent to all member associations:
Seeding and Draw: The October 2025 FIFA World Rankings, set to be published on October 23, will determine the seeding. The top-ranked team will face the fourth-ranked team in one semi-final, while the second and third-ranked sides will meet in the other.
Match Rules: In the event of a draw after 90 minutes, matches will proceed to extra time and, if necessary, penalty shootouts. Teams will be allowed five substitutions, with a sixth permitted during extra time.
The Prize: The winner of the Moroccan play-off will advance to the intercontinental play-off scheduled for March 2026, where they will compete against teams from Asia, South America, Oceania, and Concacaf for the final World Cup berth.
Political Context Amidst AFCON Preparations
The confirmation comes as Morocco is already preparing to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from December 21 to January 18.
However, the North African nation is currently grappling with widespread discontent. PUNCH Online reports that young Moroccans have taken to the streets for a ninth straight night of protests, demanding an end to corruption, a change of government, and urgent reforms to social services like health and education, while voicing anger over social inequality.
Despite the unrest, CAF boss Patrice Motsepe has expressed his “absolute confidence” that the 24-nation AFCON tournament, scheduled across nine venues, will proceed in Morocco as planned.
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