Nine African Teams Advance to 2026 World Cup Round of 32, Tunisia Eliminated

Nine of the ten African teams that reached the 2026 World Cup group stage advanced to the round of 32. The teams are South Africa, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, Egypt, DR Congo and Algeria. Tunisia was the only African side eliminated.

Australia secured second place in Group D with a 0-0 draw against Paraguay at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The match stayed physical and low-scoring, with Australia controlling much of the first half without converting chances and Paraguay creating better openings after halftime.

The result left Paraguay with four points and awaiting possible qualification as one of the best third-placed teams. Cape Verde also reached the knockout stage. The nation has a population of 529,000, a national squad valued at $63.2 million and a GDP of $3.45 billion.