The 2026 FIFA World Cup marked a golden chapter for African football, with CAF president Patrice Motsepe praising the historic achievements of the continent’s ten participating nations.
Represented by Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia, Africa delivered its most dominant global campaign to date.
Following the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams, an astonishing 9 out of 10 African nations – a remarkable 90%- advanced from the group stage into the Round of 32 knockout rounds.
This historic milestone shattered previous records, marking a massive leap from the 40% qualification rate seen in 2022 and 2014. While Africa made up 20.8% of the total tournament field, they constituted 28.1% of the teams in the knockout phase, second only to Europe’s UEFA.
Morocco continued their stellar global trajectory by reaching the quarter-finals for the second consecutive tournament, building on their historic 2022 run.
Egypt also delivered a stellar campaign, joining Morocco in the prestigious Round of 16.
Meanwhile, strong and competitive showings from Cabo Verde, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, South Africa, Ghana and Tunisia proved the immense depth and competitiveness across the continent.
Reflecting on the success, Motsepe highlighted the bright future of African football. “The 9 African national teams that qualified made history at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” he said, noting that CAF plans to host an evaluation conference with coaches, technical experts and former players to prepare for even greater success at the 2030 World Cup.
To sustain this momentum, CAF is increasing investments in youth training, elite coaching courses across all six CAF regions, infrastructure development and the African Schools Football Championship.
With unprecedented success on the global stage and renewed focus on grassroots and professional development, African football continues to prove it belongs among the absolute best in the world, with sights firmly set on lifting the ultimate World Cup trophy in the future.
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