2026 FIFA World Cup: Ranking Africa’s 10 Teams From Best to Worst After Historic Campaign
- Nine out of ten African teams advanced past the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the USA
- Morocco emerged as Africa's top performer, becoming the only African side to reach the quarterfinals before losing to France
- Cape Verde impressed with their historic World Cup debut, while Bafana Bafana also punched above their weight at the tournament
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is done and dusted, and while there were many talking points throughout the tournament, the performance of the African teams certainly made headlines.
Africa made history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with nine of its ten representatives advancing past the group stage. Tunisia was the only side that failed to get out of their group, as they lost all three games and conceded 12 goals.
With Morocco leading Africa's charge at the tournament, Briefly News looks at how each African side performed, ranked from strongest to weakest based on how far they went, who they beat, and how competitive they were when it mattered most.
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Ranking the 10 African sides at the FIFA World Cup
Morocco
The Atlas Lions topped the African rankings after reaching the quarterfinals, where they fell to France. Morocco beat the Netherlands (12.95) on penalties in the Round of 32, then dismantled co-hosts Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16.
A composed French side ultimately ended their run with a 2-0 win, but Morocco again confirmed themselves as the continent's elite outfit.
Egypt
The Pharaohs also put on a strong showing in the tournament, becoming the only other African team to reach the Round of 16. They beat Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, then pushed defending champions Argentina all the way in a 3-2 defeat.
The defeat to the then-defending champions proved that Egypt could hold their own against some of the world’s best and was a stand-out moment of their tournament.
Cape Verde
Competing at their first-ever World Cup, the Blue Sharks were the tournament's great African surprise. A historic draw against eventual champions Spain set the tone for their tournament, and draws against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia earned them passage into the Round of 32. They lost 3-2 to Argentina in what was a must-see game, exceeding every expectation in their debut and becoming one of the biggest surprises.
Senegal
Senegal showed flashes of brilliance during the tournament, including a stunning 5-0 win over Iraq. The Teranga Lions looked on course to make it to the Round of 16 before a late collapse against Belgium ended their dreams of a deep run. Senegal surrendered a 2-0 lead against the Red Devils and lost 3-2 after extra time.
South Africa
Bafana Bafana made history by reaching the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time, having failed to progress from the group in 1998, 2002 and 2010.
The South African side had a disappointing start against Mexico but bounced back with a draw against Czechia and a win against South Korea. Bafana Bafana lost 1-0 to co-hosts Canada in the dying moments of their Round of 16 game but gave the nation a campaign to be proud of and a foundation to build on.
Côte d'Ivoire
The Elephants had a great showing in the group stage, winning two games and only conceding one goal. They also gave a good account in their Round of 16 game against Norway, losing 2-1. With less than five minutes to go in that game, Côte d'Ivoire were level with the Norwegians, before Erling Haaland grabbed the winner.
Ghana
The Black Stars were disciplined and hard to break down, making it out of a tough group with England, Croatia and Panama. While they finished third in the group, they only conceded two goals and suffered one defeat, earning one of the third-placed qualifier spots. They lost narrowly to Colombia 1-0 in the Round of 32 but were competitive throughout the tournament.
DR Congo
The Leopards returned to the World Cup for the first time since 1974 and refused to be overawed by the big stage. They drew with Portugal, lost to Colombia and beat Uzbekistan in the groups, before losing 2-1 to England. They led for large parts of the game against The Three Lions and gave them a scare before Harry Kane rescued the English.
Algeria
Algeria had a mixed showing in the tournament. Les Fennecs finished third in a group that was topped by Argentina and conceded seven goals while scoring five. They offered little in front of goal against Switzerland in the Round of 16, losing 2-0 in a game where they only had two shots on target.
Tunisia
The Eagles of Carthage were the only African side to exit in the group stage, falling short in a pool that included the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden. With the expanded format giving more routes to qualification, their early elimination will be viewed as a significant underachievement. Tunisia only found the back of the net twice in their three games and conceded 12 goals, as they had a tournament to forget.
A Great World Cup for Easybet punters
Cape Verde was among several shocks at the World Cup that defied the odds on platforms such as Easybet. Africa played a significant role in making this tournament one which will live long in the memory for online sports betting enthusiasts.
Tyla performs at World Cup opening ceremonies
In a related article, it was announced that Tyla was set to appear at both the Mexico City and Los Angeles FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies.
Briefly News reported that FIFA confirmed that the tournament will feature three separate opening ceremonies across the US, Canada and Mexico.
The South African singer went on to share the stage with global stars including Katy Perry, LISA, Future, and J Balvin during the historic football event.
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Source: Briefly News
