Tough Start to Knockout Stages for African Teams

Africa arrived at the 2026 World Cup with history already made. A record ten nations qualified for the tournament, and nine reached the Round of 32, shattering the previous best of two and underlining the continent's growing weight on the global stage. Yet the knockout rounds have proved unforgiving, and the celebrated run has begun to unravel.

Ivory Coast were the first to fall, edged 2-1 by Norway on Tuesday. The heaviest blows landed yesterday as England beat DR Congo 2-1, ending a landmark campaign for the Congolese, who had reached the knockouts for the first time in their history. On the same day, Belgium edged Senegal 3-2 after extra time, a painful exit for a golden generation many had tipped for a deep run.

For DR Congo, elimination stung but could not erase the milestone. "It's really historic for our country," said forward Fiston Mayele. "It's the first win and the first knockout stage." For Senegal, the defeat raised harder questions about the end of an era built around Mané, Koulibaly and Mendy.

Hope is not lost. Morocco, South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde and Algeria remain in contention, with Morocco again looking capable of a deep run. Africa's strongest-ever World Cup showing continues, even as some of its brightest names head home.