Every African Nation at the 2026 World Cup: Full List, Groups and Fixtures

Last updated: Jun 16, 2026

A record 10 African nations will play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the most the continent has ever sent to a single tournament.

That is double the five African teams that played at Qatar 2022. The jump comes from the expansion to 48 teams, which gave the Confederation of African Football nine direct slots plus one inter-confederation play-off place.

Table of Contents

The 10 African teams and their World Cup groups

Here is every African nation heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the group each was drawn into at the final draw on 5 December 2025.

Team	Group	Group-stage opponents
South Africa	A	Mexico, South Korea, Czechia
Morocco	C	Brazil, Haiti, Scotland
Ivory Coast	E	Germany, Curaçao, Ecuador
Tunisia	F	Netherlands, Japan, Sweden
Egypt	G	Belgium, Iran, New Zealand
Cabo Verde	H	Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia
Senegal	I	France, Norway, Iraq
Algeria	J	Argentina, Austria, Jordan
DR Congo	K	Colombia, Portugal, Uzbekistan
Ghana	L	England, Croatia, Panama

The top two from each of the 12 groups advance, along with the eight best third-placed teams, to a 32-team knockout round.

The nine group winners who qualified directly

Nine African sides topped their qualifying groups to seal automatic places, several of them with dominant records.

Morocco won all eight of their completed group games, scoring 22 and conceding just 2. The team from Casablanca arrives as Africa’s standout side after reaching the semi-finals at Qatar 2022.

Tunisia also went unbeaten, finishing with 28 points and zero goals conceded in their group. Their base in Tunis celebrated a seventh World Cup appearance.

The other direct qualifiers and their qualifying highlights:

Egypt: Topped their group with 26 points, led by Cairo‘s talisman Mohamed Salah.
Algeria: Won their group from Algiers, with striker Mohamed Amoura the qualifiers’ top scorer on 10 goals.
Ivory Coast: Conceded zero goals across 10 group games, matching Tunisia for the best defensive record in African qualifying, anchored in Abidjan.
Senegal: Went unbeaten to win their group, the side from Dakar reaching a fourth World Cup.
Ghana: Returned to the finals after missing 2018, with the Black Stars based in Accra.
South Africa: Bafana Bafana from Johannesburg qualified for their first World Cup since hosting in 2010.
Cabo Verde: The debutants from Praia sealed qualification with a 3-0 home win over Eswatini.

DR Congo completed the lineup through the play-offs

DR Congo became the tenth and final African qualifier, returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1974.

The team from Kinshasa first had to win the CAF play-off in Morocco. They beat Nigeria 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach the intercontinental round.

In that final hurdle, an Axel Tuanzebe goal in the 100th minute beat Jamaica on 31 March 2026. The win sent DR Congo into Group K alongside Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan.

You can follow how the rest of the play-off bracket unfolded on the official FIFA play-off tournament page.

Cabo Verde’s history-making debut

Cabo Verde is the standout story, reaching its first-ever World Cup as one of the smallest nations to ever qualify.

The Atlantic archipelago has a population of around 525,000. That makes it the second-smallest nation by land area to qualify for a World Cup, behind fellow 2026 debutant Curaçao.

The Blue Sharks topped a tough group ahead of Cameroon and Angola. They now face Spain, two-time champions Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.

African World Cup pedigree and how to follow your team

Several of these teams arrive with real history, even as Cabo Verde and DR Congo bring fresh storylines.

Morocco and Tunisia are each making their seventh World Cup appearance. Algeria and Ghana reach their fifth, while Egypt, Senegal, Ivory Coast and South Africa all line up for a fourth.

For fans planning to follow a team across North America, the matches are spread over 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The final is at MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey area.

Direct and one-stop options from Africa are widening for the tournament. Royal Air Maroc connects Casablanca to several North American cities, while EgyptAir links Cairo to New York.

To start planning, you can compare flights to New York or check live schedules on the Wego flight tracker.

If you are basing yourself in one host city, browse hotels in New York early, as availability tightens fast around match dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many African teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup?

Ten African nations qualified, a record for the continent. Nine won their CAF qualifying groups and DR Congo came through the inter-confederation play-offs.

Which African team is making its World Cup debut?

Cabo Verde is the only African debutant in 2026. It is also the second-smallest nation by land area ever to reach the World Cup, after fellow 2026 qualifier Curaçao.

Why are there more African teams than in 2022?

The 2026 World Cup expanded from 32 to 48 teams. That raised CAF’s direct allocation from five slots to nine, plus an inter-confederation play-off place.

When and where is the 2026 World Cup?

The tournament is hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico in mid-2026. Matches are played in 16 host cities, with the final at MetLife Stadium near New York.

Sources

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