Burundi previously did come very close to qualifying for the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, losing only on penalties to Guinea in a playoff.

Following a 1–0 loss in the second leg, Burundi qualified to meet Egypt in the next round where they lost 5–0 on aggregate and were eliminated.

Burundi then finished joint top in their 1994 African Cup of Nations qualification group however they lost their play-off match against Guinea on penalties.

Following successive withdrawals from the AFCON qualifiers, Burundi returned for the 2000 competition, beating Tanzania in the preliminary rounds before finishing third in their group behind Burkina Faso and Senegal.

In 2004, Burundi performed even worse, collecting no points and finishing last behind South Africa and Ivory Coast.

In March 2019, in the final group game, Burundi played a decisive match against Gabon needing only one point to qualify.

The match ended in a draw (1–1), with a goal from Cédric Amissi earning Burundi their first opportunity to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Win Draw Loss Fixture The following 23 players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Kenya and Seychelles on 7 and 11 June 2024.

WIT Withdrew from the squad SUS Suspended from the national team, red or yellow cards.