How many African countries will qualify for Women’s World Cup through WAFCON?

Morocco will host the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), a tournament that serves a dual purpose: crowning the continent's champions and deciding which African nations will compete in the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.

With an expanded Women's World Cup, Africa's representation has grown, offering the potential for up to six teams to qualify. The primary route to qualification involves reaching the semifinals of the WAFCON. The four teams that advance to the semifinals will secure automatic berths in the global tournament.

Beyond the automatic qualifiers, two more African nations will have the opportunity to reach the World Cup through the FIFA inter-confederation play-offs. This system provides a second chance for teams that narrowly miss out on the semifinals, potentially increasing Africa's total presence in Brazil to six teams if both play-off contenders succeed. The WAFCON 2026 will feature 16 teams competing in four groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.