On Wednesday, FIFA officially confirmed the final roster for the inter-confederation play-off tournament, identifying DR Congo as the representative for Africa.
This announcement by the football governing body has effectively ended Nigeria’s aspirations of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In an accreditation notice distributed to the media ahead of the competition, FIFA detailed the tournament’s structure and named the six participating countries.
The inclusion of DR Congo leaves no further path for Nigeria, whose football federation had previously contested the results of their defeat in the CAF play-offs in November 2025.
The Nigeria Football Federation had filed a formal protest alleging that DR Congo utilized ineligible players during their critical 1-1 draw, which was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout that Nigeria lost.
This legal appeal was a final effort to overturn that result and secure a position for the Super Eagles in the inter-continental play-offs.
In a statement confirming the finalization of the tournament, FIFA said, “The FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament will see six teams fight it out for the final two places at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, to be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 Host Cities.”
The governing body further clarified the lineup, stating, “All of the six teams have now been decided, with Bolivia, Congo DR, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname confirmed as qualifiers.”
This play-off tournament is scheduled to begin on March 26.
