FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently announced that at least nine African teams are set to compete in the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Infantino made this statement during the opening of the 46th Confederation of African Football (CAF) Ordinary General Assembly on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where leaders and delegates from African member associations gathered.
“In the 2026 World Cup, there will be nine or ten African countries participating,” Infantino stated, highlighting that the expansion aligns with FIFA’s new World Cup format. He emphasized the importance of investing in the continent’s young talent. “I encourage all of you to continue investing in youth football because those kids, those girls and boys, will be the stars of tomorrow,” he added.
Additionally, Infantino mentioned that FIFA is contemplating an increase in the number of African teams in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, potentially rising to six teams. He also proudly noted that Morocco is set to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030, marking it as the second African nation to do so, following South Africa.
During the assembly’s opening session, Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie called on CAF to support Ethiopia’s bid to host the 2029 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2029). He emphasized the need to bring the World Cup trophy to Africa, especially as several players of African descent have played crucial roles in victories for non-African teams.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe expressed his support for Ethiopia’s AFCON 2029 bid, encouraging the Ethiopian government and its football federation to collaborate closely to ensure timely decisions regarding the proposal submission. The event was also attended by notable former African football stars, including Samuel Eto’o, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, and El-Hadji Diouf.
