FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed on Tuesday that at least nine African teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. He made this announcement during the opening of the 46th Confederation of African Football (CAF) Ordinary General Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, where leaders and delegates from member associations across Africa gathered.
“In World Cup 2026, there will be nine or 10 African countries participating,” Infantino stated, highlighting the increase as part of FIFA’s expanded tournament format. He emphasized the importance of investing in the continent’s youth, saying, “I encourage all of you to continue investing in youth football because those kids, those girls and boys, will be the stars of tomorrow.”
Additionally, Infantino mentioned that FIFA is considering raising the number of African teams in the Women’s World Cup to six. He also announced that Morocco is slated to host the 2030 World Cup, making it the second African nation to do so, following South Africa.
During the assembly’s opening session, Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie urged CAF to support Ethiopia’s bid to host the 2029 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He stressed the importance of bringing the World Cup trophy to Africa, despite many players of African descent contributing significantly to victories for non-African nations.
“The key to elevating football and nurturing young talent lies in scaling up our collective efforts. With this foundational talent in place, African football can thrive and take its rightful place on the global stage,” Atske Selassie said.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe extended his best wishes for Ethiopia’s AFCON 2029 bid, encouraging the Ethiopian government and football federation to work closely on timely decisions regarding the proposal. “We are very excited about Ethiopia’s intention to submit a proposal to host AFCON 2029. The success of football is what happens in Ethiopia and across the continent. We have had success in some countries, while in others, there is still work to be done,” he added.
The assembly saw the attendance of former African football stars such as Samuel Eto’o, Jay-Jay Okocha, and El-Hadji Diouf, among others.
