Can Nigeria join them? - 17 teams that have qualified for 2026 FIFA World Cup
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Nigeria's 1-0 victory over Rwanda in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers has given the Super Eagles a new lease on life, but their journey to the tournament is far from over.
🚨🇳🇬 A must-win game for the Super Eagles, and they delivered with three crucial points to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive!#NGARWA pic.twitter.com/oEVzWhRhGv
— Pulse Sports Nigeria (@PulseSportsNG) September 6, 2025
Phewwww 😮💨 and it’s +3!#SoarSuperEagles #Naija4thewin
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) September 6, 2025
With the newly released list of qualified teams for the expanded 48-nation World Cup, Nigerians are left to wonder: can their national team join the ranks of the already qualified nations?
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The race to North America 2026
With the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, all three nations have already secured their spots.
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The rest of the world is now battling for the remaining berths. To date, 17 teams have officially qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Qualified Teams: Hosts: United States, Mexico, Canada
South America (CONMEBOL): Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
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Asia (AFC): Japan, Iran, Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Australia
Africa (CAF): Morocco
Oceania (OFC): New Zealand
Nigeria's qualification challenge
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has been allocated nine direct spots and one intercontinental playoff spot for the 2026 World Cup.
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Nigeria, a six-time participant, is in a precarious position in Group C of the qualifiers.
After their hard-fought 1-0 win against Rwanda, the Super Eagles' standing in their group has improved, but they are still not in a qualifying position.
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Group C Standings (after Matchday 7):
- South Africa (16 points)
- Benin (11 points)
- Nigeria (10 points)
- Rwanda (8 points)
- Lesotho (6 points)
- Zimbabwe (4 points)
Group C standings. Nigeria has moved to 3rd on the log following a 1-0 victory over Rwanda.
— Leagues Reporter (@LeaguesReporter) September 6, 2025
Nigeria will take on South Africa next week, on Tuesday. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/okYtihVVx6
Note: There may be a potential points deduction for South Africa, which could change the group dynamics significantly.
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With the victory, Nigeria has moved up in the standings. However, to secure the top spot in the group and an automatic qualification ticket, they will need to win their remaining matches and hope that South Africa drops points.
If they finish second, they will still have a chance to qualify through the inter-confederation playoffs.
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The Super Eagles' path to the World Cup is a challenging one, but their recent win has renewed hope. The team must now build on this momentum as they face their final qualifying matches in the coming months.