Tunisia and South Africa are out, but Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, DR Congo, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Cape Verde are all still fighting for a quarterfinal spot.
Africa made World Cup history before a single round of 32 match had finished. Nine of the continent’s ten qualified nations advanced to the knockout stage this year, the most ever, more than four times the previous record of two African teams reaching that stage at once, set in 2014 when only Algeria and Nigeria managed it, according to ESPN’s June 28 coverage of the achievement.
Only Tunisia missed the cut, eliminated after losing all three group matches, including a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in its final game, per Al Jazeera’s June 28 report. South Africa reached the round of 32 for the first time in program history, then lost its actual round of 32 match to Canada, 0-1, on June 28, according to Yahoo Sports’ match coverage.
That leaves eight African nations with a live shot at the quarterfinals, and their remaining draws vary sharply in difficulty.
The most favorable paths
Morocco enters its round of 32 match against the Netherlands, on June 29 in Monterrey, in arguably the strongest position of any African team left. The Atlas Lions finished second in Group C with seven points off two wins and a draw, including a 1-1 result against five-time champion Brazil, a result confirmed by both Al Jazeera and WION’s June 28 reporting. ESPN’s Ed Dove, previewing the round of 32 for African teams, predicted Morocco would beat the Netherlands, calling the Atlas Lions “a more tactically adroit side, capable of adapting to match conditions.”
Egypt’s matchup against Australia, on July 3 in Arlington, Texas, drew a similarly favorable prediction from Dove, who picked Egypt’s “technical superiority” to carry the day, while also flagging a hamstring concern for star forward Mohamed Salah heading into the match.
Winnable, but far from certain
Ghana faces Colombia on July 4 in Kansas City after finishing third in Group L with four points, qualifying as one of the tournament’s best third-place teams. It is Ghana’s first World Cup knockout appearance since reaching the quarterfinals in 2010, according to Graphic Online’s June 28 report. Colombia, by contrast, finished atop its group unbeaten.
DR Congo will face England on July 1 in Atlanta after beating Uzbekistan 3-1 in its decisive final group match. Forward Wissa, named player of the match, told ESPN afterward that the moment capped a journey that began four years ago, adding simply that “nothing is easy in football.”
Senegal advanced as one of the best third-place finishers after a difficult group stage that included a 3-1 loss to France and a 3-2 loss to Norway, and will face Belgium on July 1 in Seattle.
The toughest assignments
Algeria’s path to the round of 32 included one of the tournament’s most dramatic finishes. Tied 3-3 with Austria in stoppage time of their final group match, captain Riyad Mahrez scored what briefly looked like a winner before Austria equalized moments later, a result that still sent both teams through, per ESPN’s June 28 report. Algeria now faces Switzerland, the Group B winner, on July 3 in Vancouver.
Ivory Coast plays Norway on June 30 in Arlington, a matchup ESPN’s Dove called “a particularly tough one to call,” noting Norway’s strong form in its first World Cup appearance in 28 years.
Cape Verde, the smallest population among the nine African teams to advance, drew its way through the group stage without a single win, becoming the first team since Chile in 1998 to reach the knockout rounds that way, according to WION’s June 28 report. The archipelago nation now faces defending champion Argentina and Lionel Messi on July 3 in Miami. Dove’s prediction was blunt: Cape Verde’s run ends there.
Whatever happens this week, African football has already rewritten its World Cup record book. For more on the DMV’s reaction to the tournament, see AfroDMV’s earlier coverage of Ivory Coast’s group stage win over Ecuador and the DMV’s World Cup watch party guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many African teams reached the World Cup knockout stage in 2026?
Nine of Africa’s ten qualified nations advanced to the round of 32, a tournament record, according to ESPN.
Which African teams have been eliminated?
Tunisia was eliminated in the group stage. South Africa reached the round of 32 but lost to Canada 0-1 on June 28.
Which African teams are still in the tournament?
Morocco, Ivory Coast, Senegal, DR Congo, Egypt, Cape Verde, Algeria, and Ghana remain alive as of June 29, 2026.