2026 World Cup: which African teams have reached a new level?

Morocco, confirmation at the summit

Four years after their historic semi-final in Qatar, Morocco has once again approached the world elite. The Atlas Lions held Brazil to a draw on the opening day before advancing smoothly to the quarter-finals, where they fell 2-0 to France, the future semi-finalist, with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept his team in the game for a long time, even saving a penalty from Mbappé. Morocco thus finishes as the best African and Arab nation in the tournament, the only team from the continent to reach this stage of the competition. More than an isolated achievement, this run confirms their now-established status among the great footballing nations of the world, with an eye already turned toward hosting the 2030 World Cup.

Egypt, finally making it to the knockout rounds

This is undoubtedly the most beautiful breakthrough of the tournament on the African side. Long deprived of results commensurate with their talent pool at the World Cup, the Pharaohs first held Belgium to a draw (0-0), then progressed from the group stage and, after a penalty shootout win against Australia (1-1, 4-2 pens), made it through the first knockout round. A first in the country's history at this level of competition, celebrated as a symbol of a new Egyptian generation capable of competing on a lasting basis.

DR Congo, a resounding return after 52 years of absence

The story alone deserves to be told: the Leopards, absent from the World Cup since 1974 when they played as Zaire, had to go through African playoffs and then an intercontinental play-off against Jamaica to secure their qualification. Once there, DR Congo did not simply make up the numbers: a spectacular draw against Portugal (1-1) in their opener, then qualification for the round of 32, where the Congolese held their own against England for a long time before conceding 2-1 on a Harry Kane double. An extra round reached for the first time in their history, establishing DR Congo as a rising force in African football.

Cape Verde, the fairy tale of the smallest country involved

The smallest nation by area ever to qualify for a World Cup, Cape Verde was making its debut in the competition and never seemed out of its depth. The Blue Sharks held Spain to a draw (0-0) in their first match, before reaching the round of 32 where they gave a heroic reply to reigning world champions Argentina, only losing in extra time (3-2). A campaign that will remain one of the most beautiful stories of the tournament, and which immediately places Cape Verde among the African nations to watch in the coming years.

A milestone reached, the next step remains to be taken

These four journeys illustrate different but converging progressions: confirmation of status for Morocco, psychological breakthrough for Egypt, triumphant return for DR Congo, revelation for Cape Verde. Still, no African team reached the final four of this 2026 World Cup, and nations like Côte d'Ivoire or Senegal, narrowly eliminated in the round of 32, will have some regrets. The continent is progressing, but the step toward the semi-finals, crossed only once in history by Morocco in 2022, remains the next frontier to conquer.