The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco will not only crown the continent’s champions but also determine which African teams will book their places at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
With Africa’s allocation increased for the expanded Women’s World Cup, the continent has a chance to send up to six teams to the global tournament.
How many African teams will qualify?
A total of four African countries will qualify automatically for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
These will be the four semifinalists at the 2026 WAFCON. Once a team reaches the semi-finals, it secures a direct ticket to Brazil.
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In addition, two more African nations will have another opportunity to reach the World Cup by competing in the FIFA inter-confederation play-offs.
This means Africa could ultimately have as many as six representatives at the 2027 Women’s World Cup if both play-off teams successfully qualify.
How qualification works
The 2026 WAFCON features 16 teams, divided into four groups of four.
The qualification process is as follows:
- Four groups of four teams each.
- The top two teams in every group advance to the quarter-finals.
- The four quarter-final winners progress to the semi-finals.
- Those four semi-finalists qualify automatically for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
- The two losing quarter-finalists with the best overall tournament performance will earn places in the FIFA Women’s World Cup play-offs.
WAFCON 2026 tournament details
- Host: Morocco
- Dates: July 26 – August 16, 2026
- Teams: 16
- Groups: Four groups of four teams
- Automatic World Cup qualification spots: Four
- Inter-confederation play-off spots: Two
Africa’s possible representatives at Brazil 2027
Depending on the results, Africa will have:
- 4 teams guaranteed at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
- Up to 6 teams if both play-off representatives secure qualification.
