African teams have fared better than ever at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and as a sports journalist and fan of African football, it is so refreshing. It is also fascinating to write about from a historical perspective, because there is so much to unpack. From the expanded tournament format to the deep pool of talent playing in elite European leagues, and the success of smart diaspora recruitment, all these factors are contributing to the beautiful story unfolding across the USA, Mexico and Canada. Late-night, and at times early-morning, kick-offs notwithstanding. The expanded 48-team World Cup was controversial from the moment it was announced. Critics feared it would not only dilute the quality of football and create one-sided matches, but also reward mediocrity. Considering that African teams' history at the World Cup offers relatively little to celebrate, that meant African teams, in the minds of the usual critics, would only bring mediocrity to football's biggest stage—that Africa did not deserve greater representation. Before this edition, Africa had five places at the World Cup since France 1998, three at USA 1994, and two in 1982, 1986 and 1990. Earlier, Africa had just one place. Fast forward to 2026, and if one confederation has emerged as the clear beneficiary of the new format, it is Africa. The numbers are remarkable. Ten African nations qualified for the 2026 World Cup thanks to the continent's nine automatic qualification places, and nine of them progressed beyond the group stage. Only Tunisia fell at the first hurdle. Morocco have already booked their place in the Round of 16, while Egypt, Algeria, Ghana and Cape Verde are still to play their opening knockout matches. For a continent that failed to produce a single knockout qualifier in Russia in 2018, the transformation has been extraordinary. The obvious question, then, is why. The simplest answer is that the World Cup expansion is working exactly as FIFA president Gianni Infantino argued it would. To Infantino – and I am not one of his biggest fans – more places meant more opportunities, more experience and, ultimately, more success. For decades, Africa's 54 footballing nations competed for just five places, while Europe enjoyed more than double that number despite having only one additional member association. The imbalance denied many talented African teams the chance to compete on football's biggest stage. The expanded tournament has corrected part of that imbalance. Greater representation has not weakened the competition; it has strengthened Africa's presence within it. For perspective, Cape Verde have become one of the stories of the 2026 World Cup, defying all odds to become the smallest country to reach the knockout stages of the competition. The African debutants have set their sights on Lionel Messi's Argentina in the Round of 32 as their dream run continues. That game is set for Friday or Saturday night. David versus Goliath. Do I expect the biggest World Cup shock of all from this particular fixture? No. But what a feeling it would be if Cape Verde were to pull it off. Back to the larger issue, World Cup expansion alone cannot explain why nine of the ten African teams survived the group stage. Opportunity only matters if teams are good enough to seize it. African football itself has improved dramatically. Yes, the majority of African teams are still some way behind our friends in Europe and a few other parts of the world, but that gap is getting smaller with each World Cup that passes. Domestic leagues across the continent have become more professional, coaching standards have risen, and youth academies are producing technically gifted players capable of competing at the highest level. The Confederation of African Football's increased investment in coaching education and player development pathways is beginning to bear fruit. Just as importantly, African football has become tactically more sophisticated. Gone are the days when African sides were admired solely for their athleticism and unpredictability. Teams such as DR Congo and Cape Verde have shown remarkable defensive organisation, discipline and game management, while still possessing the creativity to hurt opponents on the counterattack. Their underdog mentality has become a competitive advantage rather than a psychological burden. That's how far African football has come. It is not there yet, but there are every reason to be optimistic about the future. Considering all these factors, perhaps the biggest, however, has been the increasingly successful recruitment of African diaspora talent. Rwanda and the rest of East Africa must follow this path or risk being left behind. The local leagues still need major improvements and, as we wait for standards and professionalism to improve, the national football associations must follow the example of Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Cape Verde and DR Congo by building stronger relationships with diaspora players. Morocco blazed the trail in Qatar four years ago, reaching the semi-finals with a squad featuring players developed in academies across Europe. Their success demonstrated that national identity in modern football extends beyond birthplace. Players born in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands have embraced representing their ancestral homelands, bringing with them experience from Europe's elite leagues. Other nations have followed the same blueprint. Senegal, Algeria, Egypt and DR Congo all boast squads packed with players competing in England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium. These footballers arrive at international tournaments accustomed to high tactical standards, elite sports science and the pressure of playing every week against world-class opponents. Critics may argue that this reliance on foreign-born players somehow diminishes Africa's achievements. That criticism misses the point entirely. International football has always reflected migration and identity. European champions routinely field players whose parents or grandparents emigrated from Africa or elsewhere. Africa is simply benefiting from the same global realities. More importantly, diaspora recruitment has not replaced local development—it has only complemented it. The strongest African squads combine European-based professionals with talented home-grown players developed in domestic academies and continental competitions. It is that blend that has raised standards. Does this mean Africa is finally ready to produce a World Cup winner? Not quite. Despite this historic breakthrough, the biggest obstacle remains the latter stages of the tournament. The traditional powerhouses; Argentina, France, England and Spain, continue to possess unrivalled squad depth. An African nation is still likely to need victories over at least one or two of those giants to lift the trophy. That remains an enormous challenge. Yet the gap is unquestionably narrowing. Morocco's run to the 2022 semi-finals was once dismissed as a fairytale. In 2026, it no longer feels extraordinary. It feels repeatable. Whether an African team wins this World Cup or not almost seems secondary. The continent has already demonstrated that its success is no longer an occasional surprise but the product of sustained improvement. The expanded World Cup did not create African football's rise. It simply gave it the stage it deserved. In other words, this World Cup has opened the door; Africa must walk through it. Now the world is beginning to see just how far African football has come – and perhaps how much further it can still go. Anything can happen in the knockout rounds, as Morocco proved in Qatar four years ago by becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final. But could one of the remaining African sides at this year's tournament go one step further by lifting the trophy at New York or New Jersey Stadium on July 19? And if not, when? That's a story for another day. For now, Africa is on the rise.
