The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 3–1 victory over Uzbekistan capped a landmark tournament for African football — it made the Leopards the ninth team from the continent to reach the 2026 Fifa World Cup Round of 32.
From the initial list of 10 African teams, only Tunisia failed to advance beyond the group stage.
The feat underlines the continent’s growing influence in world football, with the possibility of more records to come in the knockout rounds.
From the latest group‑stage matches, Algeria and Ghana also booked their places in the next round.
The Desert Foxes secured progression with a 3–3 draw, going through as one of the eight best third‑placed teams.
Ghana, on the other hand, lost 2–1 to Croatia but earlier results meant they made it into the Round of 32.
Africa sets a new World Cup benchmark
The 2026 edition, the first to feature 48 teams and a Round of 32, has provided African nations with their strongest collective performance in World Cup history. Previously, only six African countries had reached the tournament’s knockout stages, doing so on 11 occasions.
The nine African representatives to progress to the knockout phase are Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa.
The teams will need to stay focused in their next matches, as tough matchups awaiting them as they seek to write more history. Most, however, will enter their knockout ties with growing confidence after impressive group‑stage performances.
Morocco continued the momentum generated by their historic 2022 Fifa World Cup semi-final run, while newcomers Cape Verde have emerged as one of the tournament’s biggest surprise packages. The unprecedented representation in the knockout stages will probably intensify calls for increased World Cup slots for African nations and greater recognition of the continent’s football development.
The fixtures that await the African teams:
South Africa vs Canada
Morocco vs Netherlands
Côte d’Ivoire vs Norway
DR Congo vs England
Senegal vs Belgium
Algeria vs Switzerland
Egypt vs Australia
Ghana vs Colombia
Cape Verde vs Argentina
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo's 3–1 win over Uzbekistan secured the ninth African team to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32, with Tunisia the only African team eliminated in the group stage.
- Algeria and Ghana also advanced, with Algeria progressing as one of the best third-placed teams despite a 3–3 draw, and Ghana advancing despite a 2–1 loss due to earlier results.
- This World Cup, featuring 48 teams and a Round of 32, marks the strongest African collective performance ever, surpassing the previous record of six African nations reaching knockout stages.
- The nine African teams in the knockout phase are Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa, with expectations high after strong group-stage showings.
- Upcoming Round of 32 matchups for African teams include challenging fixtures such as DR Congo vs. England, Morocco vs. Netherlands, and Cape Verde vs. Argentina, highlighting rising calls for increased World Cup slots for Africa.
