Nigeria officially out of 2026 World Cup as FIFA confirms DR Congo for play-offs

Nigeria officially out of 2026 World Cup as FIFA confirms DR Congo for play-offs

The world football governing body, FIFA, has formally confirmed Democratic Republic of the Congo as Africa’s representative in the inter-confederation play-offs for the 2026 World Cup, shutting the door on Nigeria’s qualification bid.

The confirmation was contained in an accreditation circular released to the media ahead of the play-off tournament, where FIFA unveiled the competition format and listed the six countries that will vie for the remaining two slots at the global showpiece.

DR Congo was named as the Confederation of African Football’s flag bearer, leaving no avenue for Nigeria to reclaim a place in the race to the Mundial.

The development comes months after the Nigeria Football Federation lodged a protest challenging the outcome of their CAF play-off tie against the Congolese side in November 2025.

Nigeria had alleged that their opponents fielded ineligible players in the decisive fixture, which ended 1-1 in regulation time before the Super Eagles fell short in the ensuing penalty shootout. The NFF had sought a reversal of the result in a bid to secure Nigeria’s slot in the inter-confederation play-offs.

However, FIFA’s latest communication made no mention of any alteration to the qualified teams, signalling that the earlier result remains valid and that Nigeria’s appeal did not succeed.

In outlining the competition, FIFA stated that six nations would battle for the final two tickets to the expanded 2026 World Cup, which will be staged across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

According to the confirmed line-up, Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname will compete in the mini-tournament.

The play-offs are scheduled to begin on March 26, with New Caledonia facing Jamaica, while Bolivia will take on Suriname in the other fixture.

DR Congo is set to square up against the winner between New Caledonia and Jamaica on March 31, with a World Cup berth at stake.

For Nigeria, the announcement effectively brings an end to hopes of featuring at the 2026 tournament, marking a significant setback for the three-time African champions.