North Africa will be strongly represented at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Tunisia and Morocco become the first African countries to book their tickets to the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
On Monday night, Tunisia sealed qualification in dramatic fashion when Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane struck in stoppage time to earn a 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea. His late winner sparked wild celebrations among the Carthage Eagles and their travelling fans, ensuring a place at the World Cup with two games to spare.
The result leaves Tunisia unbeaten at the top of Group H with 22 points from eight matches. Even more impressive, the North Africans are yet to concede a goal in the campaign. This will be Tunisia’s seventh appearance at football’s biggest stage, and their third consecutive World Cup after Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
They now join Morocco, who confirmed qualification earlier with a commanding 5-0 triumph over Niger in Rabat, underlining their status as Africa’s top-ranked side. The Atlas Lions, semi-finalists in Qatar, will be aiming to build on their historic 2022 run.