Africa’s World Cup journey reflects decades of progress from limited representation to becoming a global football force. Egypt became the continent’s first participant in 1934, going on to score the continent’s first World Cup goals in a loss to Hungary. Meanwhile, Morocco earned Africa’s first point in 1970 with a draw against Bulgaria. The continent’s first win at the tournament came eight years later, in 1978, when Tunisia staged a second-half comeback to defeat Mexico. And in 1982, Algeria stunned West Germany, the reigning European champions at the time, in a 2-1 victory. The 1986 World Cup saw Morocco become the first African nation to reach the knockout stage, and Cameroon took that further with a memorable run to the quarterfinals in 1990. Morocco further made history in 2022 by becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach a World Cup semifinal, a feat it built on by again reaching the quarterfinals in 2026.
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