Africa’s representation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been significantly reduced, with only two nations Egypt and Morocco progressing to the Round of 16 after a challenging knockout phase for the continent.
Out of the 10 African teams that featured in the tournament, nine advanced to the Round of 32. However, only Egypt and Morocco managed to secure spots in the next round, while the remaining teams suffered elimination.
Egypt sealed their place in the Round of 16 following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Australia.
The encounter ended 1-1 after extra time, with Emam Ashour opening the scoring for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Mohamed Hany leveled the match. Egypt eventually triumphed 4-2 on penalties, marking their first-ever knockout-stage win in World Cup history.
They are now set to face defending champions Argentina, who edged Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in another tightly contested fixture.
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Morocco, the continent’s other representative in the Round of 16, booked their place earlier after defeating the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. The Atlas Lions will now take on co-hosts Canada in their next match.
The tournament saw several African teams narrowly miss out on progression. Côte d’Ivoire lost 2-1 to Norway, South Africa fell 1-0 to Canada, Algeria were beaten 2-0 by Switzerland, DR Congo lost 2-1 to England, Senegal suffered a 3-2 defeat to Belgium, and Ghana were edged 1-0 by Colombia.
Cape Verde also exited after a valiant 3-2 loss to Argentina in extra time. Algeria had earlier been eliminated at the group stage.
With Egypt and Morocco now carrying Africa’s hopes, attention turns to the Round of 16 as both teams aim to secure a place in the quarter-finals and keep the continent’s dream alive.
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