Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has expressed his pride in Africa’s performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after a record 10 nations represented the continent at the expanded tournament.
Algeria, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia all featured at the global finals, marking the highest number of African teams ever to compete at a World Cup.
Nine of the 10 African representatives progressed to the knockout stage, underlining the continent’s growing competitiveness on the world stage. Morocco and Egypt went furthest among the teams, reaching the Round of 16.
Motsepe praised the achievements of all the African nations involved, describing their participation as a source of pride for the continent and a major step forward for African football.
“We are proud of every single one of the ten nations that went to the World Cup, enormously proud,” Motsepe said.
“It is something all of us should be proud of. If any single country goes to the semi-finals, finals or quarter-finals, they uplift the global respect and recognition of African football.
One of the biggest stories of the tournament was Cape Verde’s debut appearance at football’s biggest stage.
The Blue Sharks exceeded expectations by reaching the knockout rounds despite being drawn against eventual champions Spain in their opening match.
Their journey continued into the Round of 32, where they pushed Argentina into extra time before eventually exiting the competition.
FIFA described Cape Verde’s performance as a remarkable achievement for a nation appearing at the World Cup for the first time.
Egypt and Ivory Coast also created history by reaching the knockout phase for the first time in their respective World Cup histories.
However, FIFA’s assessment suggested both teams had the ability to achieve more, pointing to their exits as evidence of missed opportunities.
Senegal were also highlighted as one of the teams that failed to fully meet expectations. FIFA suggested the Teranga Lions had enough quality within their squad to make a deeper run in the tournament.
Morocco, meanwhile, maintained their status as Africa’s highest-performing team at the competition.
The Atlas Lions extended their record of consecutive CAF quarter-final appearances but were unable to repeat their historic run to the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Despite falling short of another deep run, FIFA still recognised Morocco as the strongest African side at the 2026 tournament.
Algeria, South Africa and DR Congo achieved significant milestones by reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in their histories.
Ghana were also included among the teams whose performances were viewed positively, with FIFA describing the Black Stars’ campaign as a fair and creditable effort.
The governing body encouraged these nations to use their experiences as a foundation for future success rather than consider their results disappointments.
