Egypt and Morocco remain as Africa's last hopes in World Cup knockout stage
Seven African teams were eliminated in the last 32, marking a historic setback for the continent. Only Egypt and Morocco advance to the World Cup's knockout rounds.
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Egypt and Morocco have advanced to the World Cup Round of 16, the only African teams to do so after a record seven were eliminated in the last 32, according to Channels Television and Legit.ng.
A total of nine African nations progressed from the group stage, a record number from the continent, but only Egypt and Morocco survived the knockout round threshold. This marks a significant setback for African football, despite the initial milestone of group-stage success.
Channels Television reported that nine African teams advanced from the group stage out of 10 that started the tournament across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. However, the progress was short-lived for most, with seven eliminated in the last 32.
"Africa's World Cup hopes suffered a major setback after seven teams were eliminated in the last 32, leaving only Egypt and Morocco and setting an unwanted record," Legit.ng reported on July 4, 2026.
The early exit of so many teams contrasts with the continent's strong showing in the group phase and raises questions about consistency at the knockout level. Egypt and Morocco now carry Africa's hopes in the tournament's next stage.