Africa has enjoyed one of its finest FIFA World Cup campaigns, with nine of the continent’s 10 representatives qualifying for the Round of 32 at the expanded 2026 tournament.
Following the conclusion of the group stage, Ghana, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Egypt, South Africa, Cape Verde, Algeria, Senegal and DR Congo all secured places in the knockout rounds. Tunisia were the only African side to miss out on qualification.
Ghana progressed after finishing third in Group L with four points, having defeated Panama, drawn with England and suffered a narrow defeat to Croatia.
The Black Stars will now face Group K winners Colombia on Saturday, July 4, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, as they chase a third appearance in the World Cup Round of 16.
Elsewhere, Morocco have been drawn against the Netherlands, Ivory Coast will face Norway, Egypt take on Australia, while Senegal meet Belgium in another intriguing last-32 encounter.
Algeria will battle Switzerland, South Africa begin the knockout phase against Canada, and Cape Verde have a huge test against defending champions Argentina.
DR Congo complete the list of African representatives in the Round of 32 with a challenging tie against England, as the continent looks to build on its impressive collective performance and send more teams into the last 16.
The remarkable achievement underlines the growing strength of African football on the global stage, with nine nations still dreaming of making history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
