by Dolapo Adelana
Nine African countries may get the opportunity to represent at the 2026 edition of the FIFA World cup, the football governing body announced Thursday.
The Bureau of the FIFA Council – comprising of the FIFA President and the presidents of each of the six confederations – convened at FIFA headquarters in Zurich and agreed on a proposed slot allocation for the FIFA World Cup™ as of the 2026 edition.
The recommendation will now be submitted for the ratification of the FIFA Council, whose next meeting is scheduled for 9 May in Manama, Bahrain, two days prior to the 67th FIFA Congress.
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UEFA got 16 slots, while AFC had 8 automatics slots. CONCACAF and CONMEBOL both got 6 direct slots, while OFC: 1 direct slot
* The host country would also automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup, and its slot would be taken from the quota of its confederation. In the event of co-hosting, the number of host countries to qualify automatically would be decided by the FIFA Council.
The remaining two slots will be contested in a play-off tournament.
Dolapo is a writer and journalist who works with YNaija. He has interests in Christianity, politics and sports.
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