CAF Confirms March 2026 Kick-Off For 2030 World Cup Qualifiers

CAF Confirms March 2026 Kick-Off For 2030 World Cup Qualifiers

By Niyi Busari 

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that African qualification for the 2030 FIFA World Cup will commence in March 2026, following the release of its official competition calendar for the year, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The announcement forms part of an exceptionally congested 2026 schedule unveiled by CAF, a calendar that is expected to place significant physical and logistical demands on clubs, players, and national teams across the continent. The programme combines elite club competitions, World Cup qualifiers, Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification matches, and youth and Olympic tournaments, leaving little room for recovery throughout the year.

CAF’s premier club competitions will reach their climax in May. The CAF Confederation Cup final is scheduled to be played over two legs on May 9 and May 16, 2026, before attention swiftly turns to the CAF Champions League final. The Champions League showpiece will also be contested over two legs, with the first leg on May 15 and the return fixture on May 24. Earlier in the season, Matchdays 4 and 5 of the group stages for both competitions will take place between January 31 and February 7, while dates for Matchday 6 are yet to be confirmed.

On the international front, national teams will shift focus early in the year to World Cup qualification. CAF has earmarked March 23 to March 31, 2026, for the African preliminary round of the 2030 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. This will be followed by the official World Cup preparation phase, beginning on June 1, further intensifying the mid-year international calendar.

The latter part of the year will be dominated by qualification matches for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. AFCON qualifying rounds one to four are scheduled between September 21 and October 6, with the final two rounds set for November 9 to November 17. The CAF Super Cup, slated for October 31, will bring the elite club season to a close.

Youth and Olympic football will also feature prominently. African qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar will run from April 25 to May 15, overlapping with the decisive stages of the continental club competitions. In addition, preliminary qualification rounds for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will be held in two phases, from September 28 to October 4 and again from November 9 to November 17.

With fixtures stacked back-to-back and international windows overlapping domestic and continental commitments, the 2026 season is shaping up to be one of the most demanding in African football history. For players, coaches, and administrators alike, the year will require careful planning and effective squad management, as the relentless schedule leaves little margin for rest once competition begins.