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Nine African nations advanced to the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, setting a tournament record and marking the continent’s strongest collective performance in World Cup history, Reuters reports.
Morocco, Algeria, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and South Africa secured places in the knockout stage following the conclusion of group play on June 28. Tunisia was the only African representative eliminated before the single-elimination rounds.
The milestone comes during the first 48-team FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which increased Africa’s allocation from five teams in 2022 to nine automatic berths plus one intercontinental playoff berth in 2026.
The result surpasses the previous record of two African nations reaching the knockout stage at a single World Cup and follows Morocco’s historic semifinal appearance at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. The outlet reports that five African teams advanced as group runners-up, while four earned knockout berths as the tournament’s highest-ranked third-place finishers.
Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe said the achievement reflects years of investment across the continent.
“This success is not by chance,” Motsepe told the outlet.
“It is the result of years of hard work, investment in youth development, infrastructure, and coaching.”
Democratic Republic of the Congo coach Sébastien Desabre also credited sustained development for Africa’s performance.
“There has been a lot of work done over the last 10 years,” Desabre said.
“The quality of African football has improved, and the players are playing at the highest level in Europe.”
The tournament has also produced several national milestones. Cape Verde reached the knockout stage in its first World Cup appearance, while South Africa advanced beyond the group stage for the first time. Democratic Republic of the Congo also reached the knockout rounds for the first time since competing as Zaire at the 1974 World Cup. The round of 32 continues through July 3 before the round of 16 begins on July 4, with four African nations already advancing to that stage as of June 30.
The outlet reports that the results have renewed discussion about Africa’s growing competitiveness on the global stage and its future representation in FIFA competitions.
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