Can Nigeria still qualify for World Cup 2026? Super Eagles match schedule and what they need to reach FIFA finals

Nigeria went into the October international break with their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.

Their inconsistent campaign over the first eight matchdays meant they needed an unlikely set of results in order to secure their place automatically at next year's finals or, at the very least, progress to the CAF playoff round.

The Africa Cup of Nations runners-up were winless in their first four matches in CAF Group C, with a 2-1 loss to Benin following three consecutive draws, but new head coach Eric Chelle oversaw a morale-boosting 2-0 win in Rwanda, where Victor Osimhen bagged a brace to seal the Super Eagles' first World Cup qualification win since November 2021.

Osimhen was on target once more four days later against Zimbabwe, but a 90th-minute equaliser for the group's bottom side struck a huge blow to the Super Eagles' chances of securing an automatic spot at next year's tournament.

Those memories were still fresh against Rwanda on September 6 when, after Osimhen limped off, substitute Tolu Arokodare scored the only goal. A draw with South Africa in Bloemfontein left Nigeria in potentially dire straits, but a FIFA ruling against Bafana Bafana may just have offered them some reprieve.

They edged a 2-1 win at Lesotho, but even then, it looked as though finishing in the top two of the group was beyond them. That was until they produced a quite remarkable display against Benin on October 14, inspired by the brilliance of Osimhen.

AllSportsPeople takes a look at what Nigeria have to do to salvage their efforts to reach the 2026 World Cup and their upcoming fixtures.

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Can Nigeria still qualify for World Cup 2026? 

Yes, Nigeria can still reach the finals to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. They must do so by successfully navigating the playoff phase.

An incredible 4-0 win over Benin on the final matchday of the CAF group phase meant the Super Eagles finished in second place in Group C on 17 points, one behind South Africa, who secured the priceless automatic qualification place despite being effectively docked three points by FIFA for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho.

Osimhen's hat-trick and an injury-time volley from Frank Onyeka sealed the result Nigeria needed to become one of the best runners-up — something that had looked unlikely even at kickoff.

The four best second-placed teams in the nine groups progress to the CAF playoff round, which takes place in November. These four teams are decided based on their total points and goal difference/goals scored excluding matches against the teams that finished sixth in each group. This is because Eritrea withdrew from qualifying, thereby leaving the second-place side in Group E at a potential disadvantage when it came to totalling up points and goals.

Nigeria ended up being one of those four sides. The other teams confirmed for the CAF playoff round are Gabon and Cameroon. The final spot will be taken by either Burkina Faso or DR Congo, depending on results on matchday 10 of the group phase.

The four teams will compete in a mini-tournament, with the top-ranked side (according to FIFA rankings) facing the lowest, and the second-highest drawn against the second-lowest. All three games will be staged in Morocco.

The winner of the final will advance to the intercontinental playoff round, where a chance to reach the World Cup will be up for grabs.

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When is next Nigeria match?

Nigeria's next match will be in the CAF playoff section in November 2025.

According to FIFA rankings as of October 14, that means Nigeria will face Gabon in the semifinal of the playoffs, with a possible final to come against Cameroon or Burkina Faso/DR Congo.

The dates of these games have not yet been finalised, but the semis are expected to take place on November 13, with the final on November 16.

Super Eagles schedule

*Result forfeited in Nigeria's favour as part of disciplinary action against Libya

How many African teams will qualify for 2026 World Cup?

Nine African teams are guaranteed a spot at the 2026 World Cup, with the possibility of a 10th taking part.

After the nine group winners from  CAF qualification progress automatically, the four best runners-up will contest a playoff to decide which team advances to the inter-confederation eliminator round.

One representative from each confederation, except for UEFA and with two from CONCACAF as the host federation, will contest the six-team playoff.

The two highest-ranked teams according to FIFA's world rankings will be seeded for the playoff, which will decide the final two qualifiers for the World Cup.

The seeded teams will face the winners of two semifinals featuring the four unseeded teams for a place at the tournament.