Nigeria miss out as FIFA confirm Congo DR in World Cup 2026 play-off line-up

FIFA has listed Congo DR among the six nations set to contest the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament in Mexico later this month, shutting the door on Nigeria’s hopes of taking Africa’s place in the last-chance qualifying event.The governing body said the play-off tournament will be staged in Guadalajara and Monterrey, with semi-finals on March 26 and finals on March 31, and will decide two of the final qualification places for the expanded 48-team World Cup.FIFA said: “Taking place in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico, with the semi-finals on 26 March and finals on 31 March, the competition will determine two of the last six nations to qualify for the first 48-team FIFA World Cup.”Congo DR are named in Pathway 1 alongside Jamaica and New Caledonia, with the matches in that bracket scheduled for Guadalajara.FIFA said: “Guadalajara Stadium and Monterrey Stadium … will stage two matches each during the play-off tournament, with Guadalajara hosting Pathway 1, featuring Jamaica, New Caledonia and Congo DR, while Pathway 2, involving Bolivia, Suriname and Iraq, will be contested in Monterrey.”FIFA’s publication of the tournament line-up provides clarity on the identity of CAF’s entrant, after Nigerian media reports linked Nigeria’s hopes to ongoing correspondence around the African play-off outcome.From a commercial standpoint, the confirmation locks in the participant markets for ticketing and event operations around the two host cities, as well as the World Cup group-stage planning tied to the play-off winners.FIFA said tickets for the play-off tournament are now on sale, and has also pre-assigned the group-stage destination for each play-off pathway winner at the World Cup itself, including opponents, dates and venues, allowing organisers and broadcasters to plan around two “to be confirmed” slots.