**African Football Sets Record at World Cup**
In a historic achievement for African football, nine teams have successfully advanced to the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking a new record for the continent. This unprecedented milestone was confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which noted that this is the first time that 90% of African national teams have qualified from the group stage in World Cup history.
The teams that have progressed include Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa. CAF President Patrice Motsepe expressed his congratulations to all nine teams, highlighting the hard work and dedication of the players and coaching staff. "The players and technical teams have made each of their countries proud and have also made the 1.6 billion people on the African Continent and in the Diaspora proud," Motsepe stated.
The knockout stage matchups are set to commence soon. Morocco, which reached the semifinals in the previous World Cup in 2022, will face the Netherlands on June 30. In their group matches, Morocco drew with Brazil and achieved victories against Scotland and Haiti.
Côte d’Ivoire will also be in action on June 30, taking on Norway after securing wins over Ecuador and Curaçao, despite a loss to Germany.
On July 1, DR Congo is scheduled to play against England. The team had a mixed performance in the group stage, drawing with Portugal, narrowly losing to Colombia, and concluding with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan. Senegal will also compete on July 1, facing Belgium after a commanding 5-0 win against Iraq in their final group match.
Algeria is set to clash with Switzerland on July 3, having bounced back from an initial defeat to Argentina with a 2-1 win over Jordan and a thrilling 3-3 draw with Austria. Egypt, remaining unbeaten in the group stage, will take on Australia.
The remaining African teams will see action on July 4, with World Cup debutants Cabo Verde facing Argentina following an unbeaten run in the group stage, while Ghana will meet Colombia.
South Africa made history as the first African team to reach the knockout phase but faced a setback, losing 1-0 to Canada in their match. The only African team that did not advance was Tunisia, which was unable to escape the group stage.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being held from June 11 to July 19 across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This tournament is notable for being the first to feature 48 national teams, expanding the competition and providing more opportunities for nations to participate on the world stage.
As the tournament progresses, the performances of these African teams are being closely watched, with hopes high for continued success and potential deep runs in the knockout rounds.