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The Economic Times
The Economic Times
National

FIFA World Cup 2026: Nine of ten African teams qualify for Round of 32

New York: Africa has rewritten FIFA World Cup history after an unprecedented nine of its 10 teams from the continent secured places in the Round of 32 in the 2026 tournament, smashing the previous record of just two African teams reaching the knockout stage in a single edition.

Historically, only six African countries have qualified for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup, with several teams making multiple appearances. The record for the most African teams qualifying in the same tournament occurred in 2014, when both Algeria and Nigeria advanced to the knockout stage during the World Cup held in Brazil.

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