2026 World Cup in numbers: Morocco stands alone for Africa

After 29 days of competition, Africa's hopes at the 2026 FIFA World Cup now rest solely on Morocco. The Atlas Lions are the only African nation left in the tournament after a record 10 teams qualified for the expanded competition. 

Morocco will face two-time world champions France in the opening quarter-final at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.

The remaining quarter-finalists are defending champions Argentina, England, Spain, Belgium, Norway and Switzerland, alongside France and Morocco. Europe dominates the last eight with six teams, accounting for 75% of the quarter-final line-up.

Biggest World Cup in history

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has rewritten the record books.

For the first time, the tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams, increasing the number of matches from 64 to 104 and introducing a new Round of 32 knockout stage.

More than 1,200 players have featured in the competition, with each nation allowed to register squads of up to 26 players.

The tournament is also the first FIFA World Cup to be jointly hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico, with matches played across 16 cities in the three countries.

Continental representation

Europe had the largest representation with 16 teams, followed by six each from South America (CONMEBOL) and North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), including hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Africa was represented by a record 10 nations, while Asia and Oceania also secured increased participation under the expanded format.

Record prize money

The financial rewards have also reached unprecedented levels.

The winners of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will receive a record $50 million, $8 million more than Argentina earned for winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

FIFA has increased the tournament's overall prize fund to $871 million, nearly double the $440 million distributed in Qatar four years ago.

Every participating nation is guaranteed at least $12.5 million, including preparation funding.

Golden Boot race tightens

With only eight teams remaining, the race for the Golden Boot is intensifying.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi leads the scoring charts with eight goals, followed by France's Kylian Mbappé and Norway's Erling Haaland with seven goals each. England captain Harry Kane has scored six.

Should players finish level on goals, FIFA will use assists as the first tiebreaker. Mbappé currently holds the advantage with two assists compared to Messi's one.

Red cards rise sharply

The tournament has also witnessed a significant rise in player dismissals.

As of July 7, 13 red cards had been issued, already more than the combined total from the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, which produced four red cards each.

The current tally is closing in on the 17 red cards recorded at the 2010 World Cup.

Several dismissals have resulted from dangerous tackles, while others have been linked to FIFA's stricter enforcement of player conduct regulations, including penalties for covering the mouth during on-field conversations with teammates or match officials.