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For the first time in history, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria will all be at the FIFA World Cup together. Morocco became the first African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a 5–0 win over Niger on 5 September 2025, finishing their qualifying phase with a perfect record.
Tunisia qualified on 8 September 2025 when Mohamed Ben Romdhane scored a 94th-minute winner against Equatorial Guinea. Algeria completed the trio on 9 October 2025 with a 3–0 win over Somalia, and qualified for their first World Cup since 2014.
All three North African teams have a history and culture of rivalries on the pitch, but their World Cup appearances haven’t all coincided until now.
Morocco comes into 2026 off the back of their amazing 2022 semi-final run that raised expectations across the region. The Atlas Lions qualified in 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022. Algeria did in 1982, 1986, 2010 and 2014; while Tunisia featured in the World Cup in 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018 and 2022. Those dates explain why 2026 is a first.
A Maghreb first
North Africa has a big presence in 2026 already. With Egypt also qualifying early, meaning there will be four North African teams among the 48 teams to feature at the expanded World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026. The expanded format offers more opportunities for potential matches between these teams.
The mix of regional rivalry, large diasporas in Europe and North America and recent form means there will be big interest and commercial attention if the draw pits any of the Maghreb teams against each other.
Each of the three teams comes into 2026 with its own story. Morocco arrives as the continent’s recent high achiever. Tunisia qualified showing great football and depth, and Algeria is mixing veteran leadership and attacking form. Captain Riyad Mahrez has said 2026 will be his last World Cup so there are personal stakes for Algeria and a narrative that will follow the team into next summer.
Beyond national pride, the trio’s qualification matters for African football’s profile on the world stage. It shows the depth of the continent and the competitiveness of North African teams in this cycle. It sets up potential matches that will have extra interest for fans and media.
With group draws and match schedules still to come, the full significance of the Maghreb presence will be revealed in the coming months. But history has already been made.
