48 nations will contest the World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico, and the USA in little over six weeks, and this year, over a third of the countries at the world showcase will travel from Africa or Asia.
I’m not saying the European and South American dominance of world football is weakening, and the latest World Cup 2026 betting odds say the winner will come from a handful of nations from those two great continents. But with 18 teams from Africa and Asia in the mix, we are sure to see some insurgent nations going deeper into the competition.
We have seen signs at previous World Cups. In 2022, Morocco became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals. The Atlas Lions had a memorable victory over Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo included, in the quarter-finals, and they are one of 10 nations from Africa to go to the finals this year, up from five in Qatar. As far back as 1990, Africa made its mark when Cameroon reached the quarter-finals, and Senegal repeated that feat in 2002, as did Ghana in 2010.
But African and Arab fans really started to dream when Morocco climbed one step away from the 2022 final. And the Atlas Lions are as high as eighth in the current FIFA World Rankings, ahead of Belgium, Germany, and Italy. They are unbeaten in 2025 and 2026, winning 19 matches and drawing four, and with the likes of PSG star Achraf Hakimi and Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz in their ranks, Morocco will again be a force to be reckoned with.
The Atlas Lions will be joined by the big guns from Tunisia, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast, while Algeria and South Africa are always dangerous opponents. Meanwhile, DR Congo is back at the World Cup for the first time since 1974, and Cape Verde are making their debut, a historic moment for the tiny West African island.
One African player we can count on making some spectacular World Cup 2026 highlights is Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah. The 33-year-old winger has scored 191 goals in 312 games for his club and 67 in 115 matches for his country, and he will captain the Pharaohs on their journey to North and Central America. The Egyptian King is on everybody’s list of players to watch, as is Manchester City striker Antoine Semenyo, who will line up for Ghana.
And watch out for Tunisia midfielder Hannibal Mejbri. The young Burnley star, now 23 years of age, has proved his worth as a versatile player with superb ball skills and a fierce tackle. But Hannibal is a hothead who is never far away from a yellow card.
The continent of Asia has eight teams at the 2026 World Cup, up from five in 2022, and they will be spearheaded by Japan, who sit 18th in the FIFA World Rankings and the Korea Republic in 25th. When the tournament was held in Japan and Korea in 2002, the continent made its breakthrough, as the Korea Republic beat Italy and Spain to reach the semi-finals.
Our early SBOTOP odds make the Samurai Blue of Japan the highest-rated Asian or African side, a good bet for a Round of 16 finish, but they will plan to go further, captained by Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ritsu Doan and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma in an exciting creative unit. This is Japan’s eighth appearance at the World Cup finals, and they have been ever-presents since 1998, though the Korea Republic (or South Korea) have been at the world showcase 11 times already, as entrants in 1954 and then ever-presents since 1986.
The Tigers of Asia are captained by former Tottenham Hotspur legend Heung-Min Son, now playing in Los Angeles. Spurs would dearly love to have the 33-year-old forward still at the club, as they face the spectre of relegation to the second tier as I write. With 54 goals in 142 internationals, Son is a proven matchwinner. And alongside PSG’s attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in, he will light up the American stadiums in June.
Japan and the Korea Republic are joined by Saudi Arabia, who have shone in recent world tournaments as well as Qatar, Iraq, and Iran. The current conflict between the USA and Iran has cast some doubt over Iran’s participation, with the Iranian football authorities asking for their games to be played in Mexico. On a happier note, Jordan and Uzbekistan will be making their first appearances at a World Cup finals, so welcome and good luck to the Chivalrous ones and the White Wolves.
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