Ahmed Salem
African teams made history, with nine out of ten teams qualifying for the knockout stages. 2026 World CupAfter the previous record was only two teams.
This comes after the Democratic Republic of Congo's 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, and Algeria's dramatic 3-3 draw with Austria on Saturday night.
Nine African teams qualified for the knockout stages.
After 17 days of competition, Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cape Verde, Egypt, Congo and Algeria qualified for the round of 32, while Tunisia did not qualify for the next round.
Morocco and South Africa were the first two African teams to secure their place in the knockout stage, with the latter qualifying for the first time in its history.
Cape Verde's first World Cup appearance was memorable, as they finished second in Group H ahead of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
Unprecedented record in the World Cup
Only six African countries have ever qualified for the knockout stage, and several of them have qualified several times, but the largest number of countries that qualified in the same year was two, in 2014 and 2022.
This year’s tournament has shown that the strength of African football runs deep, with both Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of Congo surprising everyone by reaching the round of 32.
The Democratic Republic of Congo faces a tough task against England in the upcoming match, but at the moment the team is experiencing a moment of victory.
Congo striker expresses his delight at qualifying
Striker Fiston Mailley said after the match: “It’s truly historic for our country. It’s our first win and our first knockout stage.”.
He added: “Today, I should feel proud here, and almost everywhere in my country, everyone is happy with what we have accomplished. We are proud to be Congolese, and I believe we will continue on this path.”
The Congolese striker scored a goal in the 78th minute, between two goals scored by Yoane Wissa - a penalty kick in the 68th minute and another in stoppage time.
Algeria's exciting qualification
Algeria qualified after a dramatic end to a match in this year's World Cup. The score was tied 2-2 with Austria in stoppage time, and they seemed content to play for a draw until their captain, Riyad Mahrez, scored a surprise winning goal.
Austria responded two minutes later in the final game, but a draw was enough for both teams to qualify.
