2026 World Cup: 4 African teams (out of 10) already qualified for the round of 16

Ivory Coast has become the third African team to qualify for the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The Elephants ensured their qualification by winning 2-0 against Curaçao on Thursday night. A crucial victory that allows them to continue their journey in the competition. With a brace, Nicolas Pépé was the key player in Ivory Coast’s success. Thanks to this result, Ivory Coast finishes in second place in Group E, behind Germany, the group leader.

The men of coach Emerse Fae will now face the second place team from Group I in the Round of 16. Before them, Morocco and South Africa had already secured their qualification for the knockout stage. The Atlas Lions dominated Haiti (4-2), while the Bafana Bafana secured their ticket with a 1-0 win against South Korea. At this stage of the competition, Tunisia is currently the only African team officially eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.