Nine out of ten African teams made it out of the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Morocco, Ivory Coast, Egypt, South Africa, and Cape Verde all finished as group runners-up. DR Congo, Ghana, Algeria, and Senegal advanced as top third-placed sides.
Only Australia and Japan advanced to the Round of 32, with South Korea and Iran both going home after the group stage.
Africa’s record run and what drove it
The expanded 48-team format, with matches spread across Canada, the US, and Mexico, gave Africa a record number of starting berths.
