Mohamed Salah celebrates his goal during Egypt's first-ever Fifa World Cup victory.
The 2026 Fifa World Cup group stage is heading into their critical junctures.
The expanded 48-team format — with the top two from each of the 12 groups, plus the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 32 — has blown the tournament wide open.
It has given more opportunity than ever before for the 10 African teams to not only participate but also to advance to the knockout stages.
Here is a look at the hard numbers and what every African team needs to do to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
