Only Tunisia have been eliminated at the group stage.
The nine African teams in the knockout rounds are Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, Ghana, DR Congo and Algeria.
It is worth sitting with what that actually means. At the 2022 World Cup, Africa had only five representatives in the entire tournament. Go back further and the history is even more limited. Before 2026, only six African countries had ever reached the knockout stage of a World Cup.
READ: Cape Verde headline Africa’s historic World Cup campaign
Now, in one tournament, nine have done it.
Among those nine, three teams are breaking new ground.
South Africa have reached the Round of 32 for the first time in their World Cup history. After previous appearances ended at the group stage, this is a proper step forward on the biggest stage in football.
Cape Verde have also made history. The smallest African nation ever to reach this stage of a World Cup, they have gone from outsiders to knockout participants in one tournament cycle.
DR Congo complete the trio. They have reached the knockout stage for the first time in their modern World Cup history, adding another chapter to a long and complicated football journey that stretches back to their 1974 appearance as Zaire.
ALSO: Soccermag pick their Bafana XIs for Canada clash
The rest of the African teams tell a different but equally important story. Morocco continue to set the standard after their recent deep runs. Senegal and Ghana are now regulars at this level. Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire bring experience and quality. Algeria add further weight to North Africa’s presence.
What stands out most is who has qualified and how spread it is. North, West, Central and Southern Africa are all represented. This is a broader story now. One or two success stories no longer carry the continent alone.
The numbers are simple. Nine of ten African teams are through to the next round. That is the headline. It reflects a continent rising in step, growing sharper with every tournament, and steadily closing the gap at the top of the global game.
🌍 AFRICA IS DOMINATING THE 2026 WORLD CUP!
🏟️ 9 out of 10 African teams have advanced to the knockout stages — that’s a staggering 90% qualification rate!
📊 Continent breakdown:
🌍 Africa: 9/10—90%
🇪🇺 Europe: 13/16—81%
🌏 South America: 5/6—83%
🌎 North America: 3/6—50%
🌎… pic.twitter.com/pUCdQcfOHY— FIFA World Cup Stats (@alimo_philip) June 28, 2026
Photo: REUTERS/Eloisa Sanchez
