Story perspectives

Record Nine African Teams Reach WC Last-16, Senegal Soars

6/28/2026

Summary

African Nations Advance

Nine African nations reached the World Cup Round of 32, a tournament record.
Morocco earned seven points, including a 4-2 comeback win over Haiti.
Egypt secured its first World Cup win, beating New Zealand 3-1 as Mohamed Salah scored and assisted.
Senegal advanced as a top third-placed side after a 5-0 win over Iraq, the biggest African World Cup victory.

Summary

Bubista Leverages Diaspora

Coach Bubista credited diaspora-focused planning as the cornerstone of Cape Verde’s historic World Cup run.
The 26-player roster included 14 members born outside the islands, with six raised in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Veteran goalkeeper Vozinha’s Instagram following surpassed 16 million, outpacing several globally renowned keepers.
Spectators painted “Vozinha” on their chests and held signs reading “Small Islands, Big Dreams,” showing widespread enthusiasm.

Summary

Scaloni Warns

Lionel Scaloni warned Argentina not to underestimate Cape Verde, calling the island side fast and of high quality.
Cape Verde, with 525,000 inhabitants, became the smallest-population nation ever to reach a World Cup knockout.
Argentina will train at its Kansas City base camp before flying to Miami for the July 3 round-of-32 match against Cape Verde.
Scaloni announced nine lineup changes for the Cape Verde encounter after an unbeaten group-stage run.

History

Historical Context

In 1990 Cameroon became the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, beating Argentina 1-0 and topping Group B before a 3-2 loss to England. Their run led FIFA to add an extra CAF slot for the 1994 finals. The 2024 tournament fields nine African qualifiers – Morocco, Egypt, Senegal and diaspora-rich Cape Verde – echoing Cameroon’s breakthrough.

1 of 4

African Nations Advance

Nine African nations reached the World Cup Round of 32, a tournament record.
Morocco earned seven points, including a 4-2 comeback win over Haiti.
Egypt secured its first World Cup win, beating New Zealand 3-1 as Mohamed Salah scored and assisted.
Senegal advanced as a top third-placed side after a 5-0 win over Iraq, the biggest African World Cup victory.

1 / 4