Nine African nations have advanced to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, setting a new record for the continent after Congo and Algeria secured qualification on Saturday.
The historic achievement follows Congo’s 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan and Algeria’s dramatic 3-3 draw against Austria, ensuring that nine of the 10 African teams competing at the tournament progressed to the round of 32.
The qualifiers are Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cape Verde, Egypt, Congo and Algeria. The previous record was two African teams reaching the knockout phase, achieved in both 2014 and 2022.
The performance marks a significant milestone for African football, highlighting the continent’s growing competitiveness on the global stage. Morocco, which became the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals in Qatar in 2022, has continued its strong form after holding Brazil to a 1-1 draw during the group stage.
Cape Verde and Congo have emerged as surprise packages of the tournament, with Congo reaching the knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history.
“It’s really historic for our country, Congo,” striker Fiston Mayele said after his team’s victory. “It’s the first win and the first knockout stage. Today, I have to be proud here, and almost everywhere in my country, everyone is happy with what we did. We’re proud to be Congolese, and I think we will keep going.”
Mayele scored Congo’s second goal in the 78th minute after Yoane Wissa had converted a penalty in the 68th minute. Wissa added another goal in stoppage time to seal the victory.
Congo will next face England in the round of 32.
Algeria’s qualification came after one of the tournament’s most dramatic matches. Captain Riyad Mahrez appeared to have secured victory with a stoppage-time goal to make it 3-2 against Austria before the Europeans equalised moments later. The 3-3 draw was nevertheless enough to send both teams through to the knockout stage.
Reflecting on Congo’s achievement, Wissa noted the significance of the country’s return to the World Cup after more than five decades.
“It is only the second time we are in the World Cup, 52 years later,” he said. “Nothing is easy in football. We just needed to show resilience, and when a moment like this comes, you have to enjoy it.”
Wissa also said Africa’s record representation in the knockout stage demonstrates the continent’s growing football strength.
“Now every African team can dream big,” he said. “Morocco reached the semifinal at the last World Cup, and now we have even more teams progressing. Young players are coming through earlier, and that gives African football every reason to look to the future with confidence.”
The unprecedented success of African teams at the expanded 48-team World Cup is widely seen as evidence of the continent’s increasing depth and competitiveness, with both established powers and emerging nations making their mark on the global stage.
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