In a development that has stirred disappointment among football fans, Western Sahara — a vast territory in North-West Africa larger than the United Kingdom — has been barred from participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to its unresolved political status and lack of recognition as an independent state by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The Sahrawi Football Federation, which manages Western Sahara’s national football team, had expressed interest in participating in the tournament’s qualification rounds.

However, FIFA regulations require national associations to represent fully recognised sovereign states, a criterion Western Sahara does not currently meet.

The ban stems from Western Sahara’s long-standing sovereignty dispute.

The territory remains contested between Morocco, which controls roughly 70% of the land, and the Polisario Front, a nationalist movement that governs the remaining 30%.

The United Nations continues to list Western Sahara as a “non-self-governing territory whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government.”

This unresolved status has prevented Western Sahara from gaining formal membership in FIFA or CAF, despite repeated appeals by regional football advocates for inclusion.

While barred from FIFA competitions, the Sahrawi team continues to play under the World Unity Football Alliance (WUFA) — a global association representing teams and nations not recognised by FIFA.

WUFA currently has 19 members, including Yorkshire, Kashmir, and the Chagos Islands, providing a platform for such teams to participate in international tournaments that promote unity and representation beyond geopolitics.

Players and supporters of Western Sahara’s team have voiced deep disappointment over the ban, describing it as a setback to their hopes of representing their homeland on football’s biggest stage.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is set to be the largest in history, featuring 48 participating teams.

Although Western Sahara will not be among them, African football will be well represented, with nine nations, including Ghana’s Black Stars, already securing their places.

For now, Western Sahara’s footballers remain determined to continue playing under WUFA, keeping alive their dream of one day competing under their own flag on the global stage.