Africa sent its largest ever contingent to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but while there were undoubtedly some great storylines, how successful was the tournament overall for the 10 teams who travelled?
After nine nations made it into the knockout stage, Confederation of African Football (CAF) boss Patrice Motsepe said they had made the continent’s 1.6 billion people proud.
But only Morocco made it to the quarter-finals, while exiting after conceding late goals was a recurring fate which befell five sides – with Senegal and Egypt squandering two-goal leads as they crashed out in dramatic style.
The Egyptians and DR Congo did at least register their first wins at a World Cup, while Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa joined them in getting past the group stage for the first time.
With the World Cup returning to Africa in 2030, when Morocco co-hosts alongside Spain and Portugal, what can the continent’s sides learn from the first 48-team tournament?
Cape Verde were undeniably the story of the World Cup, with the debutants reaching the last 32 after draws against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
The Blue Sharks then came close to pulling off one of the all-time upsets against defending champions Argentina, fighting back from a goal down twice before losing 3-2 after extra time.
Goalkeeper Vozinha became a viral sensation with each save, his followers on Instagram going from 50,000 to over 29 million by the end of the tournament. The 40-year-old’s sudden fame even saw a newly-discovered species of sea slug named after him.
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Cape Verde’s talent has been plain to see at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) over recent years, and defender Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes says the islanders showed they are “more than capable” of competing with the world’s elite.
“We’ve put ourselves on the map,” Lopes told BBC Sport. “We’re a small nation but with big hearts and we showed what is possible – and if you believe, you can achieve.”
Morocco underlined their position as the continent’s top-ranked team by becoming the first African side to appear in successive quarter-finals.
Yet the Atlas Lions could not match their last four achievement from Qatar 2022 after France, as was the case four years ago, again got the better of the North Africans.
The side’s style of play has become more expansive since Mohamed Ouahbi took over from Walid Regragui, with 18-year-old midfielder Ayoub Bouaddi catching the eye.
“We have a young team who want to grow, who will continue to do so. We have talented players who will enable us to grow,” said Ouahbi.
Senegal led Belgium 2-0 after 85 minutes of their last-32 tie but the Teranga Lions lost 3-2 after
