By qualifying for the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, Egypt have officially joined the ranks of the most successful African nations in the tournament’s history.
The Pharaohs defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after regulation and extra time, securing their first-ever qualification to the Round of 16. With this milestone, Egypt become only the fifth African nation to win a knockout stage match in World Cup history.
Cameroon were the first African country to achieve this feat when they defeated Colombia in the Round of 16 during the 1990 edition, thanks to Roger Milla’s legendary brace.
Twelve years later, Senegal replicated the achievement in the 2002 World Cup, courtesy of Henri Camara’s decisive brace against Sweden in the Round of 16.
The third nation to accomplish this landmark was Morocco, who eliminated Spain in the 2022 edition. The Atlas Lions then repeated the feat in the ongoing 2026 World Cup by eliminating the Netherlands via a penalty shootout.
Simultaneously, Hossam Hassan has become only the third African manager in history to guide a national team past a World Cup knockout stage match, following in the footsteps of Walid Regragui and Mohamed Wehbi.
