World Cup · Updated 2026-10-19
Which African country has played at the most World Cups?
Short answer
Cameroon has played at the most FIFA World Cups among African nations, with 8 appearances each. 14 African countries have reached the finals in total.
The numbers
| Team | World Cups |
|---|---|
| Cameroon | 8 |
| Morocco | 7 |
| Tunisia | 7 |
| Nigeria | 6 |
| Algeria | 5 |
| Ghana | 5 |
| Egypt | 4 |
| Ivory Coast | 4 |
| Senegal | 4 |
| South Africa | 4 |
| DR Congo | 2 |
| Angola | 1 |
| Cape Verde | 1 |
| Togo | 1 |
People also ask
How many African teams qualify for the World Cup?
Nine African teams qualify directly for the 48-team FIFA World Cup, introduced in 2026, and a tenth can qualify through the intercontinental play-off. From 1998 to 2022 Africa usually had five places (six in 2010 with hosts South Africa); in 1934 and 1970 there was just one. Read more →
What is Africa's best ever World Cup performance?
The furthest an African team has gone at the World Cup is the semi-finals: Morocco (2022). Morocco's run to fourth place in Qatar in 2022 was the first; earlier, Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) had reached the quarter-finals. Read more →
Who was the first African team at the World Cup?
Egypt were the first African team to play at a FIFA World Cup, in Italy in 1934. They lost 4–2 to Hungary in a straight knock-out tie. No other African nation reached the finals until Morocco in 1970. Read more →
Answers are generated from our database of international results, Wikidata player records and other open sources, and refresh automatically. See our methodology.