Africa's performances at the World Cup peaked at Qatar 2022 when Morocco became the first side from the continent to reach the semi-final stage.
Even their quarterfinal appearance was notable – the Atlas Lions were only the fourth African nation to get there.
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Although Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana are the three other African teams to reach the quarter-finals, North Africa has dominated the continent's success at the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.
Egypt are winners of the AFCON a record seven times, while three of the top five African qualifiers for the World Cup finals are Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.
Al Jazeera breaks down the chances of the sub-Saharan nations trying to overcome their neighbors to the north in the tournament, which begins on June 11:
senegal
World Cup Performance: Four- 2002, 2018, 2022 and 2026
Best ending: quarter finals
Overall record: P12 W5 D3 L4 F16 A17
FIFA Ranking: 14
Prediction: Eliminated at the quarterfinal stage
Senegal is approaching its campaign at the World Cup 2026 with a strong sense of injustice. The Lions of Teranga were stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), leading to a mid-game walk-off by Senegalese players and staff that led to the January final being canceled – which was later awarded to Morocco with the trophy following a 3–0 victory.
In 2002, Senegal defied all odds to reach the quarter-finals in its World Cup debut, co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.
More than two decades later, expectations are high – perhaps surpassing Highest expectations from all African teams including Morocco.
The depth of the 26-man squad is seen as their biggest strength over their continental neighbours, but rivals are also jealous of their star power.
Sadio Mane remains the country's largest exporter. However, midfield kingpin Pep Gueye, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and captain Kalidou Koulibaly will be a great addition to almost any team in the tournament.
All three were born in France and the two-time winners of the competition have been targeted in yet another way.
A 1–0 win against then defending champions France in the 2002 edition announced Senegal as an emerging football powerhouse. This time their first Group I match is against Didier Deschamps' team in New York on 16 June.
Senegal coach Pep Bouna Thiaw, who moved to France at the age of 17, said, “It's always a pleasure to play against France. It's a country we know very well.”
“If my belief that I can win the World Cup with Senegal is lost even for a second, I will step down,” he said.
Senegal's group is completed by Iraq and Norway.
ghana
World Cup Performance: Five- 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022 and 2026
Best ending: quarter finals
Overall record: P15 W5 D3 L7 F18 A23
FIFA Ranking: 74
Prediction: Eliminated at the quarterfinal stage
Ghana has missed only one World Cup since its debut in 2006.
Four years after their global debut they became the third African team to reach the quarter-final stage at Germany 2010.
Their performance this tournament has not been easy, with a late change of coach, with experienced Portuguese Carlos Queiroz replacing Otto Addo after a string of poor results.
The Germany-born former Ghana international led his country to Qatar 2022, but a failure to qualify for the final AFCON and comprehensive defeats in four of their high-profile games in November and March saw him fired in early April.
It will be the fifth consecutive World Cup for Queiroz, 73, whose previous African experience has been with South Africa and Egypt, and who managed Real Madrid, and was Alex Ferguson's right-hand man at Manchester United.
Group L, against Panama, England and Croatia, appears to be the 'group of death' in the early stages of the competition, but with Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo leading the attack, Ghana will have every hope of progressing.
Queiroz said, “I think this country has great potential. It is a country of footballers.”
However, the Black Stars will have to be without injured Tottenham forward Mohamed Kudus, who has become the team's talisman and a key factor in their last two successful qualifying campaigns.
Ivory Coast
World Cup Performance: Four- 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2026
Best ending: group stage
Overall record: P9 W3 D1 L5 F13 A14
FIFA Ranking: 34
Prediction: Eliminated at the quarterfinal stage
Ivory Coast's return to the global stage after a 12-year absence – something that had felt difficult following the retirements of some of their greatest players such as Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba.
It's been a long rebuild for the Ivorians, but they have won two AFCON titles since their last World Cup appearance.
Their youthful attack, led by teenage striker Yann Diomande, along with Manchester United's Simon Edingra and Amad Diallo, will be vital to their chances.
When hosting the AFCON two years earlier, Ivory Coast was almost eliminated in the group stage, but they promoted Emres Faye from assistant manager for their final game of the preliminary stage and won the title.
“I believe Ivory Coast has the potential to achieve something extraordinary – why not aim for the final?” Fay said ahead of the tournament that it would begin with matches against Curacao, Ecuador and former world champions Germany.
Cape Verde
World Cup Performance: one – 2026
Best ending: No
Overall record: No
FIFA Ranking: 69
Prediction: were eliminated at the group stage itself
One of the debutants, Cape Verde – with a population of around 600,000 – is the third-smallest country to qualify in the tournament's long history.
They only made their AFCON debut in 2013, but reached the quarter-finals – a feat to be repeated in 2023.
The task ahead of them now – who will be led largely by their expatriate players – is daunting, with Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and European champions Spain waiting in the group stage.
“We have always been aware of our talent but we have not always believed that it can take us much further than we had achieved up to that point,” said manager Bubista, who was named African Coach of the Year in 2025.
“Therefore, facing any opponent requires courage. The first step to our success was really believing in our ability. In other words, we changed the mentality of the players.”
South Africa
World Cup Performance: Four- 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2026
Best ending: group stage
Overall record: P9 W2 D4 L3 F11 A16
FIFA Ranking: 60
Prediction: Eliminated in the Round of 32 stage
After a strong start to their international comeback, with qualification for the 1998 World Cup, South Africa's fortunes have declined over the past 16 years.
Appearing in the finals for the first time since 2010 seems long overdue for a country hoping to benefit from strong domestic growth as it moves towards North America.
South African club Mamelodi Sundowns are the new winners of the African Champions League and have eight of their players in the Bafana Bafana squad. There are also eight players from domestic league champions Orlando Pirates, who beat Sundowns by one point to win the title.
South Africa's Belgian-born coach Hugo Bruce said of his 26-man selection, “We can say that we have players from the best teams of the season. Those guys have a lot of experience at a high level.”
“I'm obviously happy that Sundowns won the Champions League, because I was afraid that if they lost, I'd have players who would be very disappointed. So now they've all got more confidence, and that helps a lot.”
South Africa are in the second so-called 'group of death' as they face the Czech Republic, South Korea and co-hosts Mexico in their opening game of the tournament.
dr congo
World Cup Performance: Two- 1974 and 2026
Best ending: group stage
Overall record: P3 W0 D0 L3 F0 A14
FIFA Ranking: 46
Prediction: were eliminated at the quarterfinal stage
DRC's only previous appearance was when it was still known as Zaire, competing at the 1974 finals in West Germany – the first African team from south of the Sahara to reach the World Cup.
As reigning continental champions, their 9–0 defeat by Yugoslavia did little to help fly the flag for Africa at the time.
A lot has changed on the continent and its second-largest country since then. Congolese players will arrive in North America with a FIFA ranking ahead of three of the other five sub-Saharan qualifiers.
Two playoffs were required to reach this edition – the Congolese eliminated Cameroon and Nigeria in the African legs, before beating Jamaica in extra time in their intercontinental playoff.
The majority of the team is of European origin, either in Belgium, France or Switzerland, as well as London-born Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has previously been called up by England but has missed caps due to injury.
Their French coach Sébastien Desbrey said, “We are extremely proud because an entire generation has not been able to see their national team at the World Cup, but now they will see them there.”
