Cameroon and the 2030 World Cup

Ranked 42nd in the world, 8th in CAF. 65.5% to qualify in our simulations.

Updated 22 October 2026

42ndFIFA ranking, of 211

8thof 54 in CAF

1485rating points

62 / 76attack / defence, out of 100

65.5%qualify (simulated)

Chances at the 2030 World Cup

Cameroon qualify in 65.5% of simulated campaigns: more likely to be there than not, with little margin for a bad window. The single most likely outcome is not qualifying (34.5% of cycles).

When they are at the finals, Cameroon get out of their group 54.2% of the time; a quarter-final comes up in 2.1% of all cycles.

A 64-team World Cup would change the picture: with the extra places the simulator assumes for that format, Cameroon qualify in 76.0% of campaigns instead of 65.5%.

Qualify65.5%
Round of 3235.5%
Round of 169.0%
Quarter-finals2.1%
Semi-finals0.5%
Final<0.1%
Champions0%

Share of 20,000 simulated cycles, from first qualifier to final, in which Cameroon got at least this far. How the simulation works · All 211 nations

The route to the finals

Africa's qualifying is played in eight groups: only the group winners qualify, and the four best runners-up play off for a place in the inter-confederation play-off. Cameroon come in at the group stage.

There are 8 places for the 53 nations that have to qualify, plus one route through the inter-confederation play-off, where five teams from five confederations contest two more places on neutral ground. Cameroon end up in that play-off in 6.3% of simulated campaigns.

CAF qualifying in full: format, what is official and every nation's odds.

How strong are they?

Cameroon have 1485.30 points in the FIFA ranking published on 7 October 2026, which places them 42nd in the world and 8th of the 54 nations in Africa. The simulator uses that points total directly as the team's rating.

Their attack score is 62 and their defence score 76, on a scale of 1 to 100 built from the last 30 internationals. The scores describe a side built on defence: fewer goals scored than its rating would suggest, and fewer conceded.

What the match engine expects from Cameroon in three fixtures, over ninety minutes.
Opponent	Fixture	Expected goals	Win	Draw	Lose
Mali	At home to the next side in the CAF ranking	1.50 – 1.19	43%	28%	29%
Morocco	At home to CAF's highest-ranked side	0.71 – 2.09	11%	21%	68%
Spain	Against the top-ranked side from another confederation, on neutral ground	0.29 – 2.42	3%	14%	83%

Around them in CAF

Cameroon and the nations ranked around them in CAF.
In CAF	Nation	FIFA rank	Points	Qualifies	Champion
5	Côte d'Ivoire	29	1569	80.7%	<0.1%
6	Nigeria	30	1568	80.4%	<0.1%
7	Congo DR	40	1506	69.2%	<0.1%
8	Cameroon	42	1485	65.5%	0%
9	Mali	47	1474	64.2%	0%
10	South Africa	48	1469	39.0%	0%
11	Tunisia	61	1415	26.6%	0%

Cameroon at the World Cup

8World Cups played

Quarter-finalsbest finish · 1990

2022last World Cup

They have played at 8 World Cups, the first in 1982 and the most recent in 2022. Their best finish is the quarter-finals, in 1990. They did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Play it out: take Cameroon through Africa's qualifying, or change their rating in the team editor and see what it takes.

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