FIFA World Cup 2026 Kicks Off June 11 as Africa Eyes History

MEXICO CITY / LOS ANGELES — The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Wednesday, June 11, with the opening match in Mexico City. The expanded 48-team tournament, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is the biggest World Cup in history. For Africa, the tournament represents an opportunity for a historic collective performance.

Six African nations qualified for the 2026 World Cup: Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon, and the DRC. Notably absent is Nigeria, whose failure to qualify remains a painful chapter in the Super Eagles’ history. Coach Eric Chelle and his team are using the World Cup period to focus on AFCON 2027 qualifying.

Morocco is Africa’s highest-ranked team at the tournament and carries the continent’s greatest medal hopes. The Atlas Lions reached the semifinal at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, making them the first African team to achieve that milestone. Their coach Walid Regragui has maintained a strong squad with an aggressive, tactically flexible approach.

DRC’s Extraordinary Situation

The DRC’s presence at the World Cup is extraordinary given that the country is simultaneously managing an Ebola outbreak. The White House ordered the Congolese squad to self-isolate for 21 days before entering the United States. The team completed its isolation while training in Belgium. DRC players said they are focused entirely on football and are proud to represent their country on the world stage.

Nigeria is watching the World Cup as a non-participant for the first time in a major tournament cycle that includes African heavyweights. The NFF and Super Eagles management said they will use the World Cup window to study opponents for AFCON 2027 qualifying and to continue building the squad through June friendlies against Poland and Portugal.

Burna Boy and Shakira’s official World Cup anthem Dai Dai will be performed at the opening ceremony on June 11 in Mexico City. For Nigerian music, even in the absence of the Super Eagles, the World Cup stage belongs to Nigeria through its music. Dai Dai will reach a global television audience of over one billion people, making it the largest single platform moment for Nigerian music in history.