Nigeria’s bid to return to the FIFA World Cup yesterday suffered a major blow, as FIFA officially confirmed the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) as Africa’s representative in the upcoming inter-confederation play-off tournament.

In an accreditation notice circulated to media covering the event, FIFA outlined the tournament structure and announced the six nations competing for the final two spots at the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Notably absent from the list is Nigeria.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had lodged a formal protest following their November 2025 defeat to DR Congo in the CAF play-offs. Nigeria argued that the Leopards fielded ineligible players during the decisive tie, which ended 1-1 before DR Congo triumphed on penalties.

The NFF had hoped to overturn the result and secure a reinstatement into the play-offs. FIFA’s latest communication, however, makes no mention of any changes, signaling that the original outcome will stand.

The participating nations confirmed are Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia, and Suriname. The play-offs are scheduled from March 26 to March 31, 2026, in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico.

Under the format, the four lowest-ranked sides  Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia, and Suriname  will contest semi-final brackets, while the two highest-ranked teams  DR Congo and Iraq advance directly to the final stage.

This setup puts DR Congo just one match away from booking their ticket to the World Cup, where they will face the winner of Jamaica versus New Caledonia.

Meanwhile, FIFA is making contingency plans on Iran’s participation with a senior official at world football’s governing body confirming that two replacement scenarios are being explored in the event that Iran withdraws from the World Cup, citing the escalating military conflict between the country and the United States, the host nation of this summer’s tournament.

In the ensuing scenarios, either Iraq, who could still qualify through the AFC intercontinental playoff, or the UAE, who narrowly missed out on direct qualification, would step in to fill Iran’s spot in Group G.

United States President Donald Trump has said that he did not care whether Iran participated in this summer’s soccer World Cup. “I really don’t care. I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes,” Trump told Politico.

Iran was the only nation missing from a FIFA planning summit for World Cup participants held this week in Atlanta, deepening questions over whether the country’s soccer team will compete on U.S. soil this summer amid an escalating regional war.

President of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mehdi Taj, said the viciousness of the attacks by U.S. and Israeli forces did not augur well for the World Cup, to be held from June 11 to July 19. Iran secured a trip to a fourth successive World Cup by topping Group A in the third round of Asian qualifying last year.

Tickets for the World Cup Playoff tournament are now on sale at bargain prices compared to the finals, with fans able to secure a seat for as little as 200 Mexican pesos ($11.33).

Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bolivia, New Caledonia, Jamaica and Suriname will play at two stadiums that are also venues for the World Cup finals. Guadalajara and Monterrey will stage the inter-confederation playoff tournament from March 26-31, with FIFA ⁠saying ticket prices are in the range of 200 to 300 Mexican pesos.

The prices are in stark contrast to the finals, where the eye-watering costs have fans crying foul. The cheapest ticket for the finals is $60, but dynamic pricing and the resale market have left many fans priced out.