New Delhi: With the final round of group stage games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup drawing its curtains, nine of the 10 African teams have made their way into the Round of 32. The expanded 48-team edition of the tournament marks a significant shift in the continent’s football history.
Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Congo and Algeria have qualified for the knockout stages, leaving Tunisia as the only African country missing out on the next round. Previously, only six African countries qualified in all the editions of the FIFA World Cup cumulatively, with two making it to the tournament together at one tournament.
A dream World Cup run
After their semi-final run in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Morocco continues to flourish in this edition after holding Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their opening fixture. The Atlas Lion looks ready for another deep run this year and will also be a co-host in the 2030 World Cup.
This year’s tournament has shown the strength of African football, with Cabo Verde and DR Congo emerging as surprise packages, qualifying for the Round of 32.
DR Congo, however, has a tall task in facing England next, and Cape Verde will face the defending champions Argentina, but for now, the teams are living a dream.
Algeria advanced after the most thrilling ending to a game at this year’s World Cup. The game was tied 2-2 with Austria in the stoppage time, heading for an obvious draw, until Algerian captain Riyad Mahrez struck for a go-ahead goal. Austria came back within two minutes. The draw was enough for both teams to advance to the next round.
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‘Every African team can dream bigger’
After DR Congo thrashed Uzbekistan 3-1, with the Player of the Match trophy by his side, Yoane Wissa reflected on what the achievement meant for both him and his country.
“This is only the second time we have qualified for the World Cup, 52 years after the first,” Wissa said. “This journey started four years ago with this group of players. In our first game against Portugal, we drew. Then we lost to Colombia. Today, we were already 1-0 down after 10 minutes, so nothing comes easy in football. We had to show resilience, and in moments like this, you have to enjoy it because opportunities like these are rare.”
Wissa also described the moment as a landmark achievement for African football, expressing hope that Congo’s success is another sign of the continent’s growing strength on the world stage.
“Now every African team can dream bigger,” he said. “At the last World Cup, Morocco reached the semi-finals, and now there will be eight African teams at the tournament. The future is bright for African football. Young players are emerging earlier, as we’ve seen in our squad with Noah Sadiki and Ngal’ayel Mukau. That gives our federation confidence to dream big for the future.”
(Edited by Saptak Datta)