Ten historic African nations have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Discover their group fixtures, FIFA rankings, key players, and tournament histories below.
African World Cup Qualifiers at a Glance
| Country | Nickname | FIFA Ranking | Key Player | World Cup Best |
| Algeria | Desert Foxes | 28 |
Riyad Mahrez
|
Last 16 (2014) |
| Cape Verde | Blue Sharks | 69 | Logan Costa | Debut |
| DR Congo | Leopards | 46 | Chancel Mbemba | 1st Round (1974) |
| Egypt | Pharoahs | 29 | Mohamed Salah | 1st Round (1934, 1990, 2018) |
| Ghana | Black Stars | 74 | Antoine Semenyo | Quarterfinals (2010) |
| Ivory Coast | Elephants | 34 | Yan Diomande | 1st Round (2006, 2010, 2014) |
| Morocco | Atlas Lions | 8 | Achraf Hakimi | Semifinals (2022) |
| Senegal | Teranga Lions | 14 | Sadio Mané | Quarterfinals (2002) |
| South Africa | Bafana Bafana | 60 | Oswin Appollis | 1st Round (1998, 2002, 2010) |
| Tunisia | Carthage Eagles | 44 | Elias Achouri | 1st Round (6 appearances) |
Team Profiles & Group Fixtures
1. Algeria (Desert Foxes)
FIFA World Ranking: 28
Head Coach: Vladimir Petković (BIH)
Key Player: Riyad Mahrez (Winger)
World Cup Appearances: 1982, 1986, 2010 (1st Round); 2014 (Last 16)
All-Time World Cup Record: P13 | W3 | D3 | L7 | GF13 | GA19
Group Stage Fixtures:
-
June 16: vs. Argentina
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June 22: vs. Jordan
-
June 27: vs. Austria
2. Cape Verde (Blue Sharks)
FIFA World Ranking: 69
Head Coach: Bubista (CPV)
Key Player: Logan Costa (Defender)
World Cup Appearances: Debut (2026)
Group Stage Fixtures:
-
June 15: vs. Spain
-
June 21: vs. Uruguay
-
June 26: vs. Saudi Arabia
3. DR Congo (Leopards)
FIFA World Ranking: 46
Head Coach: Sébastien Desabre (FRA)
Key Player: Chancel Mbemba (Defender)
World Cup Appearances: 1974 (1st Round as Zaire)
All-Time World Cup Record: P3 | W0 | D0 | L3 | GF0 | GA14
Group Stage Fixtures:
-
June 17: vs. Portugal
-
June 23: vs. Colombia
-
June 27: vs. Uzbekistan
4. Egypt (Pharaohs)
FIFA World Ranking: 29
Head Coach: Hossam Hassan (EGY)
Key Player: Mohamed Salah (Forward)
World Cup Appearances: 1934, 1990, 2018 (1st Round)
All-Time World Cup Record: P7 | W0 | D2 | L5 | GF5 | GA12
Group Stage Fixtures:
-
June 15: vs. Belgium
-
June 21: vs. New Zealand
-
June 26: vs. Iran
5. Ghana (Black Stars)
FIFA World Ranking: 74
Head Coach: Carlos Queiroz (POR)
Key Player: Antoine Semenyo (Forward)
World Cup Appearances: 2006 (Last 16); 2010 (Quarterfinals); 2014, 2022 (1st Round)
All-Time World Cup Record: P14 | W5 | D3 | L7 | GF18 | GA23
Group Stage Fixtures:
-
June 17: vs. Panama
-
June 23: vs. England
-
June 27: vs. Croatia
6. Ivory Coast (Elephants)
FIFA World Ranking: 34
Head Coach: Emerse Faé (CIV)
Key Player: Yan Diomande (Forward)
World Cup Appearances: 2006, 2010, 2014 (1st Round)
All-Time World Cup Record: P9 | W3 | D1 | L5 | GF13 | GA14
Group Stage Fixtures:
-
June 14: vs. Ecuador
-
June 20: vs. Germany
-
June 25: vs. Curaçao
7. Morocco (Atlas Lions)
FIFA World Ranking: 8
Head Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi (MAR)
Key Player: Achraf Hakimi (Defender)
World Cup Appearances: 1970, 1994, 1998, 2018 (1st Round); 1986 (Last 16); 2022 (Semifinals)
All-Time World Cup Record: P23 | W5 | D7 | L11 | GF20 | GA27
Group Stage Fixtures:
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June 13: vs. Brazil
-
June 19: vs. Scotland
-
June 24: vs. Haiti
8. Senegal (Teranga Lions)
FIFA World Ranking: 14
Head Coach: Pape Thiaw (SEN)
Key Player: Sadio Mané (Forward)
World Cup Appearances: 2002 (Quarterfinals); 2018 (1st Round); 2022 (Last 16)
All-Time World Cup Record: P12 | W5 | D3 | L4 | GF16 | GA17
Group Stage Fixtures:
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June 16: vs. France
-
June 22: vs. Norway
-
June 26: vs. Iraq
9. South Africa (Bafana Bafana)
FIFA World Ranking: 60
Head Coach: Hugo Broos (BEL)
Key Player: Oswin Appollis (Winger)
World Cup Appearances: 1998, 2002, 2010 (1st Round)
All-Time World Cup Record: P9 | W2 | D3 | L4 | GF11 | GA16
Group Stage Fixtures:
-
June 11: vs. Mexico
-
June 18: vs. Czech Republic
-
June 24: vs. South Korea
10. Tunisia (Carthage Eagles)
FIFA World Ranking: 44
Head Coach: Sabri Lamouchi (FRA)
Key Player: Elias Achouri (Winger)
World Cup Appearances: 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022 (1st Round)
All-Time World Cup Record: P18 | W3 | D5 | L10 | GF14 | GA26
Group Stage Fixtures:
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June 14: vs. Sweden
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June 20: vs. Japan
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June 25: vs. Netherlands
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