Sudan short-stature footballers pursue 2026 World Cup place amid war

Sudan’s short-stature football team is working towards the second World Cup for players of short stature, scheduled for Morocco in November 2026. The tournament is expected to bring together 24 teams, including defending champions Argentina, while Sudan continues preparing amid war, displacement and scarce resources.

The players train in Khartoum despite security problems and inadequate facilities. The squad includes footballers from different parts of Sudan, with many having been forced from their homes by the conflict. Travel and joint training are difficult, but the team continues to meet whenever conditions allow.

Sudan’s effort comes against a difficult sporting backdrop. The senior national team finished third in its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations group with three points from three matches, recording one win and two defeats and scoring once while conceding five. Its recent run includes a 3-1 defeat away to Senegal, a 2-0 loss to Burkina Faso, a 1-0 win at Equatorial Guinea, a 3-0 defeat in Algeria and a 3-1 loss to Bahrain.

The short-stature team was formally established and recognised in 2020 through the work of volunteers and sports journalists. Mohammed Abdullah, a football expert, has praised the players’ commitment, saying their work for Sudan carries the same importance as that of any other national team.

For Ibrahim Abdalla, the campaign also reflects a personal battle against prejudice. He says he was excluded from school tournaments because of his height and that people doubted his footballing ability. He now wants his performances to show that those assumptions should not determine what he can achieve.

Sudan did not take part in the inaugural short-stature World Cup after failing to raise enough money and deal with the difficulties of international travel. The same financial and security barriers remain before the 2026 event. Mohammed Nour Kasha, president of Sudan’s federation for people of short stature, says the players’ determination offers hope and could give Sudanese people moments of happiness while violence and displacement continue across the country. The war has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced about 13 million and left more than 30 million needing humanitarian assistance.