2026 World Cup qualifiers: Provisional ranking of the best runners-up

World 07 October 2025 at 12:15

Imed Ben Amara

News Editor

In addition to the nine group winners who qualify directly for the final phase of the 2026 World Cup, Africa is granted a potential extra spot via the intercontinental playoffs.

Indeed, the four best runners-up will face off in an African playoff tournament, with the winner advancing to the intercontinental playoffs.

Also read: 2025 U20 World Cup: The full schedule for the first round

With two matchdays to go in the qualifiers, the four leading runners-up are Gabon (Group F), Madagascar (Group I), DR Congo (Group B), and Burkina Faso (Group A).

Here is the provisional ranking of the best runners-up from the 9 groups:

1. Gabon 19 pts (+10)

2. Madagascar 16 pts (+7)

3. DR Congo 16 pts (+7)

4. Burkina Faso 15 pts (+12)

5. Cameroon 15 pts (+10)

6. Namibia 15 pts (+8)

7. Uganda 15 pts (+5)

8. Benin 14 pts (+4)

9. Tanzania 10 pts (0)

It's worth noting that with two matchdays remaining, only two African teams have already booked their tickets for the final phase: Morocco (Group E) and Tunisia (Group H).