Nine African Teams Book Tickets To 2026 World Cup

Africa’s representation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — to be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada — is taking shape, with nine nations already securing qualification after months of intense continental battles.

Ghana, one of Africa’s most consistent performers on the world stage, successfully maintained its spot after featuring at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Egypt, on the other hand, made a triumphant return after missing the last edition, reaffirming their status as one of the continent’s footballing giants.

Algeria, South Africa, and Côte d’Ivoire also sealed qualification with renewed determination, signaling their intent to make a strong comeback. Tunisia and Morocco continued their impressive consistency, underlining their dominance in African football, while Senegal — Africa’s highest-ranked side — once again proved their pedigree with another commanding qualification campaign.

Cabo Verde provided the most heartwarming story of all, making history as the smallest African nation ever to qualify for the World Cup. The island nation’s fairy-tale qualification sparked nationwide celebrations over the weekend, with fans flooding the streets of Praia and other cities to toast their footballing heroes.

Meanwhile, four nations — Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria — are set to battle for Africa’s final intercontinental playoff spot, which could give the continent a record tenth representative at the expanded 48-team tournament.

The 2026 World Cup will mark a new chapter for African football, with the continent fielding its largest-ever number of participants. Fans are hopeful that one of the African teams will finally break through to the semi-finals — or perhaps even go all the way to claim global glory.

Qualified African Nations:

Ghana, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, and Cabo Verde.

Playoff contenders for final spot:

Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria.