Arab national teams enter a new and decisive round of the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, with more than four teams seeking to secure their spots in the global tournament during the current international break.

Egypt holds a clear advantage in its group after leading with 16 points, five points ahead of Burkina Faso. The Pharaohs, led by Mohamed Salah, need six points from their matches against Ethiopia on September 5 at Cairo Stadium and Burkina Faso on September 9 to officially secure their World Cup ticket. There are three different qualification scenarios, the most prominent being winning both matches without waiting for other results.

Morocco is close to repeating its historic achievement with a seventh World Cup participation after collecting 15 points and comfortably leading its group. They will face Niger on September 5 in Rabat, then Zambia on September 9. A Morocco win combined with Tanzania’s slip against Congo could make them the first African team to officially qualify.

Tunisia leads its group with 16 points, four points ahead of Namibia. The Carthage Eagles will meet Liberia on September 4 and Equatorial Guinea on September 8. Although they have a chance to secure qualification, it also depends on other competitors’ results, as Tunisia needs to win both matches while hoping for Namibia to slip.

After missing two editions, Algeria aims to return to the World Cup through the 2026 qualifiers. The Greens hold 15 points at the top, three points ahead of Mozambique. They host Botswana on September 4 before traveling to face Guinea on September 8. Winning both matches combined with Mozambique and Uganda faltering could guarantee early qualification for Algeria.

The positions of Sudan and Libya seem more difficult, as they occupy third place in their groups and will not be able to secure qualification this month. Sudan has 12 points behind the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal, while Libya has 8 points behind Cape Verde and Cameroon.