Africa’s road to 2026 World Cup
The curtains fell on Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and the continent witnessed a unique mix of dominance, drama, and history. Nine nations earned direct tickets to the expanded World Cup while four others will battle for one final playoff spot.
From Cape Verde’s fairytale qualification to Morocco’s unwavering excellence, here’s a look at how Africa’s representatives directly booked their tickets to North America.
Morocco qualifies with perfect record
Morocco became the first African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, sealing their place with two matches to spare following a 5–0 victory over Group E rivals Niger. The Atlas Lions completed a flawless qualifying campaign with eight wins from eight matches, scoring 22 goals and conceding only two.
This marks Morocco’s third consecutive World Cup appearance and their seventh overall—only Cameroon (8) has more among African sides. As the continent’s top-ranked team, Morocco aims to build on their historic fourth-place finish in Qatar 2022.
FUN FACT: Morocco became the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup (Qatar 2022).
Tunisia advances unbeaten
Tunisia became the second African team to qualify, clinching their spot with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea. The Carthage Eagles were one of only five teams to go unbeaten throughout the qualifiers, topping Group H with nine wins and one draw. Tunisia showed strong attacking abilities, scoring 22 times, while at the back, it was even more solid and, astonishingly, did not concede a single goal.
Like Morocco, this will be Tunisia’s third consecutive appearance at the tournament and seventh overall. The team hope to progress from the group stage for the first time in their history.
FUN FACT: Tunisia was the first African country to win a match at the FIFA World Cup, beating Mexico 3-1 in 1978.
Egypt secures fourth World Cup appearance
Egypt secured direct qualification after thrashing Djibouti 3-0, confirming top spot in Group A with a game to spare. Spurred on by talisman Mohamed Salah, who scored nine goals, the Pharaohs amassed eight wins and two draws, and ended their campaign 1–0 with a home victory over Guinea-Bissau.
This will be Egypt’s fourth appearance at a World Cup (1934, 1990, and 2018). The team is seeking its first-ever win at the tournament. The North African side is led by coach Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s all-time leading goalscorer (68) and the first person to lead Egypt to the World Cup as both player and coach.
FUN FACT: Mohamed Salah is the all-time top scorer in African World Cup qualifying with 20 goals.
Mahrez inspires Algeria
Riyad Mahrez was in inspired form as he scored once and set up two goals in a 3-0 win against Somalia in Group G to confirm Algeria’s place at next year’s finals on the penultimate matchday. Mohamed Amoura, who scored twice in the win against Somalia, would repeat the feat in a 2-1 win against Uganda and finish the qualifying campaign as the overall top scorer with 10 goals.
Algeria has appeared five times at the World Cup, with its last appearance coming in 2014. Algeria will be led by veteran tactician Vladimir Petković, who has qualified a nation for the World Cup for a second time. He previously led Switzerland to the World Cup in 2018.
FUN FACT: Algeria advanced beyond the group stage only once before, in 2014.
Ghana on a mission
Ghana confirmed its spot on the last day of qualification with a 1-0 win against Comoros, while their closest challengers in Group I, Madagascar, slumped to a 4-1 defeat to Mali. Forward Jordan Ayew was in fine form for the Black Stars during qualification, scoring seven times and assisting a similar number of goals. After failing to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, World Cup qualification went a long way in restoring the pride of the fans.
Ghana has now qualified five times for the World Cup in the last six editions, only failing to do so in 2018. The West African nation will be targeting to advance beyond the group stage and improve on its quarterfinal appearance in South Africa in 2010.
FUN FACT: Jordan Ayew (14) had the most goal involvements of any player in the African qualifiers.
Cape Verde makes history
Cape Verde clinched a historic first qualification for the FIFA World Cup after a 3-0 win at home over Eswatini in its last group match to top Group D. A tense finale saw the tiny island nation head into the final matchday just two points ahead of continental giants Cameroon. However, an assured performance saw it eventually finish four points ahead.
World Cup qualification is by far the most significant achievement in Cape Verde’s progressive football journey. In recent years, the team has become an established name in continental football, playing in four of the last six Africa Cup of Nations, reaching the last eight of the tournament twice.
FUN FACT: Cape Verde is the second smallest country by population ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.
South Africa qualifies on the final day
South Africa pipped Nigeria and Benin to a place in North America in dramatic fashion. South Africa beat Rwanda 3-0 on the final matchday of the African qualifiers to win one of the most closely contested groups.
The team’s qualification was all the more intriguing as it was docked three points for fielding an ineligible player in a 2-0 win against Lesotho in March. That decision saw them lose top spot to Benin. There were fears that direct qualification might have eluded them after draws against Nigeria and Zimbabwe in two of their final three matches. But the comfortable win over Rwanda and Benin’s collapse helped South Africa clinch a spot.
This will be South Africa’s fourth appearance at a World Cup, and first since they qualified automatically as the host in 2010.
FUN FACT: South Africa (9) jointly holds the continental record of most consecutive World Cup qualifying victories.
Defense carries Cote d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire needed only a win to guarantee its spot as it began the final matchday two points clear of Gabon in Group F. The reigning African champions duly dispatched Kenya 3-0 on home soil to confirm a fourth World Cup appearance. Côte d’Ivoire registered the best attacking and defensive record in qualifying on the continent with 25 goals scored and none conceded.
This will be Côte d’Ivoire’s first World Cup appearance since 2014. They have never progressed beyond the group stage.
FUN FACT: Côte d’Ivoire holds the record for the biggest victory in African qualifying history (9-0 vs Seychelles).
Senegal seals third consecutive World Cup appearance
Sadio Mané helped Senegal seal its ticket to the 2026 showpiece, scoring twice in a 4-0 win against Mauritania. The win secured first place in the group ahead of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who also won 1-0 against Sudan, but ultimately finished two points behind Senegal. With just three matches to go, DR Congo had seemed set to upstage Senegal’s quest for qualification. However, the turning point came on matchday eight when Senegal came from two goals down to edge DR Congo 3-2 in Kinshasa and move ahead of its opponents atop the standings; a position they would not relinquish.
This will be Senegal’s third straight World Cup appearance and fourth overall.
FUN FACT: Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly was one of 10 outfield players to play all 900 minutes for his team during World Cup qualifying.
One African spot remains
A 10th African team could qualify for the 2026 World Cup through a playoff pitting the four best group runners-up: Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria. The playoffs will feature two semifinals and a final. The semifinals will take place on November 13, with Nigeria taking on Gabon, and Cameroon facing the Democratic Republic of Congo. The winners will play in a final on November 16. All the matches will be hosted in Morocco. The winner of the final will take part in an inter-confederation playoff in March next year.
