Written by: Badr Ahmed
African football fans are turning their attention to the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, amid renewed hopes that the teams of the African continent will be able to achieve an unprecedented feat on the world stage, taking advantage of the increase in the number of participating teams to 48 teams for the first time in the history of the tournament.
The Atlas Lions are among the favorites to repeat their historic World Cup achievement.
The Moroccan national team tops the list of African ambitions after the historic achievement it made in the Qatar 2022 World Cup when it became the first African and Arab team to reach the semi-finals, breaking the barrier that had remained insurmountable for the continent’s teams for decades.
The Atlas Lions enter the new edition of the tournament with high expectations of continuing their pursuit of top positions, despite the coaching changes the team has undergone following the departure of Walid Regragui. The Moroccan national team relies on a group of prominent stars, most notably Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who affirmed that the team still possesses the quality and ambition necessary to continue its successful run.
The African continent will be represented in the 2026 World Cup by ten teams: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is double the number of seats that were allocated to Africa in previous editions.
The African participation in the tournament brings back memories of significant milestones, starting with Cameroon’s achievement in the 1990 World Cup, passing through Senegal’s reaching the quarter-finals in 2002, and then Ghana’s disappointment in the 2010 edition when they were eliminated from the same round after a dramatic match against Uruguay.
Observers are also looking forward to the participation of the Egyptian national team, led by its star Mohamed Salah, along with the national teams of Algeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana, all of which are seeking to get past the group stage and reach the knockout rounds.
In contrast, Cape Verde is making its first appearance in the World Cup, while South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo hope to take advantage of the lack of pressure and cause upsets against the traditional powers.
Although the dream of an African team winning the World Cup is still far off, Morocco’s achievement in Qatar has given the continent greater confidence in its ability to compete with the game’s giants, and has made the 2026 World Cup a new opportunity to test Africa’s ability to get closer to the historic dream.
