AFRICA'S WORLD CUP RUN ENDS WITHOUT SEMIFINALIST BUT SHOWS NEW DEPTH

Africa's 2026 World Cup run ended without a team in the semifinals, but the tournament still marked one of the continent's strongest collective performances, according to Reuters. Nine of the 10 African teams at the expanded tournament advanced beyond the group stage, a result Reuters described as evidence of growing depth across African football.

Morocco came closest to extending Africa's run, reaching the quarterfinals before losing 2-0 to France, according to Reuters. Morocco had been trying to repeat or improve on its historic 2022 semifinal appearance, when it became the first African team to reach the final four of a men's World Cup.

Reuters reported that Morocco still made history by becoming the first African nation to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals. The team's 2026 run included a win over the Netherlands and a strong performance against Brazil before France ended its tournament.

Other African teams also produced notable results. Reuters reported that Egypt celebrated its first World Cup match win and then narrowly lost to Argentina amid VAR controversy, while Cape Verde became one of the tournament's standout underdog stories after pushing Argentina into extra time before losing 3-2.

Algeria, Ghana and South Africa also reached the knockout stages, according to Reuters. Their progress added to the sense that Africa's showing in the expanded 48-team tournament was not carried by one surprise team alone, but by a wider group of national programs able to compete past the group phase.

Not every African campaign met expectations. Reuters reported that Senegal, viewed before the tournament as one of the continent's strongest candidates for a deeper run, underperformed and was left facing internal reflection after an early elimination. Tunisia was the only African team that failed to advance from the group stage and changed coaches during the tournament.

The expanded format helped create more opportunities for African teams, but the results also showed competitive progress. The 2026 tournament gave Africa more direct qualification places than previous editions, and the knockout-stage results suggested that more teams were able to convert that opportunity into credible performances against opponents from Europe, South America and other regions.

The next major tests will come quickly. Africa now looks ahead to the Africa Cup of Nations, followed by the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. The immediate question is whether Africa's 2026 performance becomes a baseline or a high-water mark. No African team reached the semifinals this time, but nine teams advancing beyond the group stage gives national federations, coaches and players a stronger platform heading into the next World Cup cycle.

Fact-check date: 11 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Reuters, ESPN