African teams dominate World Cup group stage, nine advance to knockout

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, nine of the ten African nations progressed from the group stage to the round of 16, the highest proportion ever. The only African side eliminated was Tunisia, which finished with three losses and a –10 goal difference.

Morocco topped its group with seven points, matching Brazil, while Cape Verde secured six points and a surprise unbeaten run. Other qualifiers included Ivory Coast, Senegal, Algeria, Ghana, DR Congo, South Africa, Egypt and the debutants Cape Verde Islands. Algeria reached the knockout round after Austria’s injury‑time equaliser sent them through, while Iran’s hopes were crushed.

The tournament’s overall picture shows 32 teams set for the first knockout round of this expanded format, with France identified by Opta’s supercomputer as the favourite to win, followed by Argentina and Spain.