By Juan Samuel Santana Chávez

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) wrote a golden page in the 2026 World Cup by having nine of its ten qualified teams advance to the Round of 32, an unprecedented achievement for the continent. With a 90% success rate, Africa confirmed the growth of its competitive level and made it clear that it is no longer just a guest, but a protagonist on the world stage.

Morocco, South Africa, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Cape Verde secured their spots as group runners-up, while Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo advanced among the best third-placed teams. The only African team that did not make it past the group stage was Tunisia. This historic performance comes just four years after Morocco reached the semifinals in Qatar 2022, demonstrating that the development of African football continues to rise.

The success of the African teams reflects years of investment in youth development, infrastructure, and coach training, in addition to the increased number of World Cup spots for the confederation in 2026. With nine representatives in the knockout stage, CAF sends a strong message to the rest of the world: Africa is ready to compete head-to-head with the major powers and aims to continue making history in this World Cup.