FIFA has officially listed the DR Congo national football team as Africa’s representative in the inter-confederation play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, effectively ruling out any possibility of a late qualification for the Nigeria national football team through that route.
According to Vanguard, the world football governing body made this known in an accreditation notice issued to journalists ahead of the play-off tournament. In the document, FIFA confirmed the six national teams that will compete for the remaining slots at the global competition.
With this confirmation, Nigeria has now been completely eliminated from the final qualification pathway for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Nigeria had earlier attempted to challenge the outcome of its defeat to DR Congo in the Confederation of African Football qualification play-off held in November 2025. The encounter ended 1–1 in regulation time before the Congolese side eventually secured victory through a penalty shootout.
Following the match, the Nigeria Football Federation submitted an official complaint, accusing the Congolese team of fielding players who were allegedly not eligible to participate in the match. The federation hoped that a review of the case would overturn the result and allow the Super Eagles to replace DR Congo in the inter-confederation play-off.
However, FIFA’s publication of the final list of participating countries has now effectively closed the case and confirmed DR Congo’s place in the competition, bringing an end to Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup through that pathway.See_More…