The race for places in the round-of-32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaches its decisive phase this week, with several African nations standing on the brink of history as the final group-stage matches take centre stage across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Africa’s ten representatives at the expanded 48-team tournament have experienced mixed fortunes so far, but Morocco and Egypt appear best positioned to advance into the knockout rounds.
The round-of-32 begins on June 29, and for Africa’s leading contenders, the coming days will determine whether their World Cup journeys continue or come to an end. Morocco enter their final Group C match against Haiti in Atlanta knowing victory could secure a strong position heading into the knockout phase.
The Atlas Lions have impressed against difficult opposition, opening with a hard- fought 1-0 victory over Scotland before earning a valuable 1-1 draw against tournament favourites Brazil. Those results have underlined Morocco’s credentials as one of Africa’s strongest hopes.
Disciplined defensively and dangerous on the counterattack, they have shown the qualities that made them one of the world’s most respected teams in recent years. Their opponents Haiti have endured a difficult campaign.
A narrow 1-0 defeat to Scotland was followed by a comprehensive 3-0 loss to Brazil, leaving them without a point from their opening two matches. While Haiti will be eager to end their tournament on a positive note and score their first goal, Morocco are expected to approach the contest with maximum intensity as they seek to improve their goal difference before the knockout rounds.
Elsewhere, Ghana continue to carry significant African expectations. The Black Stars remain among the continent’s most experienced World Cup performers and have the quality to progress if they can produce a strong final group-stage display against Croatia in Philadelphia.
After their historic 3-1 victory over New Zealand, following a 1-1 draw with Belgium, Egypt are on the verge of the round-of-32. The Pharaohs lead Group G with four points, while Mohamed Salah continues to inspire a well-balanced side under coach Hossam Hassan. They face Iran in their final group game on Saturday, June 27 .
While much attention has focused on the traditional African heavyweights, Cape Verde have become one of the stories of the tournament. The Blue Sharks (as Cape Verde national team are fondly nicknamed) are participating in their first-ever FIFA World Cup, yet they have already exceeded expectations and remain in contention for a historic qualification.
IMPRESSIVE CAPE VERDE
Cape Verde stunned observers by opening their campaign with a goalless draw against Spain, frustrating one of the competition’s favourites through disciplined defending and remarkable organisation.
They followed that achievement with another memorable performance against Uruguay. After scoring their first-ever World Cup goal, the island nation fought back to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw and collect a second point from two matches.
With two rounds completed, Spain lead Group H with four points, while Uruguay and Cape Verde have two points each. Saudi Arabia remain bottom with one point, ensuring all four teams retain a realistic chance of progressing.
The qualification equation for Cape Verde is straightforward. Victory against Saudi Arabia in Houston would move them onto five points and significantly strengthen their chances of advancing.
Should Spain defeat Uruguay in the group’s other fixture, the Blue Sharks would finish above the South Americans and secure a place in the knockout stage. A draw would leave Cape Verde on three points and likely require Spain to beat Uruguay.
Defeat, however, would almost certainly bring their remarkable World Cup adventure to an end. Regardless of the outcome, Cape Verde have already announced themselves on the global stage.
Many analysts expected the tournament debutants to struggle in a group containing Spain and Uruguay. Instead, they have displayed courage, discipline and belief against some of football’s most established nations.