2023-11-12
Eritrea withdrew his men’s team from the qualification stage 2026 World Cup It announced without giving any reason to justify the decision Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
The African nation has often been excluded from international competitions as its players have been abandoned using tournaments outside their country. The Eritrean regime is considered the most repressive on the continent.
Eritrea had to face Morocco on November 16, into Group E of those World Cup qualifiers.
“FIFA and CAF (Confederation of African Football) confirm the withdrawal of the Eritrean national team from the preliminary rounds of the 2026 World Cup,” FIFA said in a statement.
Group E will now consist of five teams, not six: Morocco, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania and Niger.
“All the matches of the Eritrean team have been cancelled, while the other teams’ schedule is maintained,” the same source said.
Eritrea’s men’s and women’s national teams are not ranked by FIFA as they have not played at least one tournament in the last 48 months.
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by three countries in the Concacaf region: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
