Nigeria to ‘know’ 2026 FIFA World Cup opponents in December 

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will find out their 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage opponents in December, should they qualify for the event. 

The Super Eagles are currently in a precarious situation in their group, but can still qualify for the showpiece if results go their way. 

Should they manage to do the impossible, Eric Chelle’s men will know their path to glory when FIFA conducts the group stage draws in December. 

In a press release sent out by the world football governing body, the group stage draws for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. 

The draw will start at 18:00 CET, with the three host countries s Mexico, Canada and USA, assigned to Group A1, B1, and D1, respectively.

The remaining teams will be assigned to pots based on the November 2025 rankings. Should the Super Eagles maintain their current ranking, they will likely be in either Pot 3 or Pot 4. 

However, the three-time African champions still have work to do if they want to be in the highly anticipated draw. 

Nigeria are currently fourth in their group, six points behind South Africa, who currently sit top with 13 points. 

The Super Eagles will need to win all their remaining games, starting with the matches against Rwanda and South Africa next month. 

They will also need other results to go their way if they are to qualify as group winners. Should the Super Eagles miss out on top spot, they could still qualify as one of the second-best-placed teams. 

The four second-best placed teams in the African qualifiers will face each other in a one-legged playoff semifinal clash before the winners face each other in a one-legged playoff final. 

The winner of the one-legged playoff final will then face a team from another confederation in a playoff for a chance to play in next year’s showpiece. 

The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition to be hosted by three countries, with the USA, Canada and Mexico hosting it.