The 2026 FIFA World Cup expands to 48 teams and includes a record 10 squads from Africa. It will be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with South Africa facing Mexico in the opening match on a Thursday. African teams have participated in the tournament since Egypt's appearance in 1934.
“Africa: Africa Sends Record 10 Teams Into World Cup As 2026 Tournament Begins”
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“Pairing nine World Cup contenders with their college football counterparts ahead of 2026 tournament”
Read at Fox News →The expansion increases visibility for African nations and challenges prior Eurocentric structures, though funding and infrastructure disparities persist.
“Inclusion and redistribution of opportunities in global sports governance”
Record African participation rewards sustained national investment and preparation, as shown by Morocco's prior results, while expansion prioritizes revenue.
“Competitive merit and skepticism of bloated international governance”
Lower barriers allow talent and individual merit to succeed through markets and scouting rather than mandates or quotas.
“Voluntary exchange and performance-based opportunity”
All three perspectives accept the expansion as organic inclusion without scrutinizing revenue motives, qualification processes, or historical group-stage outcomes.
“Overlooked commercial drivers and unaddressed competitive realities”
Ratings by MBFC