2026 FIFA World Cup: African teams excel while Italy absent

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, African nations delivered a strong performance, with nine of the ten qualifying teams advancing past the group stage—the highest success rate among all confederations. Morocco reached the quarter‑finals for the second time, and other sides such as DR Congo, Egypt and Cape Verde produced notable results, despite several late‑game collapses.

Meanwhile, Italy failed to qualify for the tournament. Former player Franco Causio criticised the lack of Italian champions in the competition, the high proportion of foreign players in Serie A and suggested FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s personal bias as a factor. He called for a restructuring of youth development in Italy and lamented the commercial focus of the World Cup.

The contrasting narratives highlight both the rising competitiveness of African football and the concerns within traditional European powers about the tournament’s organization and qualification processes.