Nigeria will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by first finishing as runners-up in their CAF Group C qualification stage, which they have done. The group winner (South Africa) qualifies directly. Nigeria, finishing second, must now advance through the CAF playoffs with the other three best runners-up from the nine CAF qualifying groups. In the CAF playoffs, the top four runners-up face off in a knockout format (semi-finals and final). The winner of this playoff round advances to the FIFA intercontinental playoffs, which include six teams from five confederations competing for the last two World Cup spots. In summary, Nigeria must:
- Win the CAF playoff stage by defeating other top runners-up.
- Then succeed in the FIFA intercontinental playoff in March 2026 to secure their World Cup spot.
Their qualification path is more challenging than direct qualification, requiring winning two additional playoff rounds after the group stage.
