The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday, June 11, in North America with an unprecedented African representation. Ten teams from the continent will take part in this expanded 48-team tournament, carrying high hopes following Morocco’s historic achievement at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was played on Thursday, June 11, at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca, marking the start of a historic tournament jointly hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico. For the first time, 48 nations are competing in the finals, compared to 32 in previous editions.
This new format particularly benefits Africa, which will be represented by a record ten national teams. Morocco, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Algeria, South Africa, and Tunisia will proudly carry the continent’s hopes on the global stage.
The opening match features Mexico against South Africa, a symbolic fixture for Bafana Bafana, who return to the World Cup sixteen years after their last appearance, when they hosted the tournament in 2010.
This edition will also be marked by several notable comebacks and historic firsts. Cape Verde will experience the World Cup finals for the first time in its history, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo returns to the competition for the first time since 1974, when the country competed under the name Zaire.
Africa’s World Cup journey has steadily evolved since Egypt became the first African nation to participate in the tournament in 1934. The continent’s presence has continued to grow over the decades. With ten qualified teams in 2026, Africa reaches a new milestone and further confirms its growing influence in world football.
Spread across 16 host cities in the three organizing countries, the tournament will conclude on July 19 at New York–New Jersey Stadium. Until then, Africa’s ten representatives will seek to turn this record participation into sporting success and demonstrate that the continent has become an indispensable force in global football.
