Seven African players to watch at World Cup 2026

A record 10 African countries will take part in the 2026 Fifa World Cup after the finals were expanded to 48 teams, with a host of star names hoping to go all the way and lift the trophy.

Morocco made history in Qatar four years ago by becoming the first African side to reach the semi-finals.

Cape Verde will make their tournament debut, while DR Congo return for the first time since 1974.

BBC Sport Africa picks out seven players to keep an eye on in the United States, Mexico and Canada from 11 June to 19 July.

Antoine Semenyo (Ghana)

The London-born forward may have missed out on the Premier League title with Manchester City, but it was his stunning piece of skill which provided the winner in the FA Cup final against Chelsea last month.

The 26-year-old is heading into the tournament off the back of his best ever league season in front of goal, with seven of his 17 efforts in the English top flight coming since his move to the Etihad Stadium in January.

Semenyo could find himself carrying his nation’s hopes, given that Ghana’s other Premier League star, Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus, is out injured.

The former Bournemouth man was part of Ghana’s squad in 2022 but was used sparingly from the bench as the Black Stars suffered a group-stage exit.

The West Africans missed out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) entirely, and Semenyo will be looking to score his first goal in a major tournament as Ghana face England, Croatia and Panama in Group L.

Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast)

The Elephants, returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, boast the best young player in the German Bundesliga.

The 19-year-old scooped the Rookie of the Season award after his 12 goals and eight assists helped RB Leipzig finish third and return to the Champions League.

As a result, he has been linked with big money moves to the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.

Diomande, who started four of his country’s five games at Afcon 2025, attempted more dribbles and won more duels than anyone else in the Bundesliga in 2025-26, with his skill in one-on-one situations making him a dangerous attacking threat.

Group E opponents Germany will therefore know all about his abilities, and the Ivorians will also face Ecuador and debutants Curacao.

Ronwen Williams (South Africa)

South Africa are back at the finals for the first time since hosting in 2010, with their first target to progress past the group stage.

That is something Bafana Bafana have never managed, experiencing early exits in 1998 and 2002 before also becoming the first host nation to fail to clear the opening hurdle.

A strong core of players from dominant club side Mamelodi Sundowns is led by goalkeeper and captain Williams, who became known for his penalty-saving heroics after stopping four spot kicks in a shootout against Cape Verde in the Afcon 2023 quarter-finals.

The 34-year-old, who says he “cherishes” his role as skipper, now has a wealth of big-game experience, having just clinched the African Champions League title with Sundowns.

South Africa take on co-hosts Mexico in the tournament’s opening game on 11 June before facing Czech Republic and South Korea.

Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes

The centre-back has been a key component in a remarkable few years for tiny Cape Verde, who reached the last eight at Afcon 2023 before finishing above continental heavyweights Cameroon in qualifying for this year’s World Cup.

Shamrock Rovers man Lopes was first approached to play for the Blues Sharks via business networking platform LinkedIn, and he initially ignored the message because it was in Portuguese.

The Dublin-born 33-year-old – whose strong Irish accent is likely to make him stand out during media duties – made his debut in 2019 and only missed one game in qualifying as the Atlantic Ocean archipelago secured a place at the finals for the first time.

Cape Verde face a daunting task in Group H, where they will come up against former winners Spain and Uruguay as well as Saudi Arabia, and Lopes’ experience and leadership at the back could prove a big factor.

Brahim Diaz (Morocco)

The Real Madrid playmaker was the star for Morocco at Afcon 2025, scoring five goals as the hosts reached the final, but now has some making up to do.

With the game goalless deep in second-half stoppage time, the 26-year-old endured a moment to forget when his attempted Panenka penalty was easily saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

A walk-off by the West Africans in protest against the decision to award that spot kick had forced Diaz into a long wait before his miss, but he was then replaced early in extra time and was seen in tears as Senegal went on to win 1-0.

A Confederation of African Football appeals board did subsequently award Morocco the title – with Senegal immediately taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport – but Diaz, a former Spain Under-21 international who made his Morocco debut in 2024, well after the team’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, should relish the chance for atonement.

The Atlas Lions face record five-time winners Brazil in their Group C opener before games against Scotland and Haiti.

Nine of those came in the Uefa Conference League, helping the Eagles to claim their first ever European trophy.

Sarr is gearing up for his third successive World Cup after Senegal were eliminated at the group stage on fair play record in 2018 before being swept aside 3-0 by England in the last 16 four years later.

The Teranga Lions, who can at least call themselves the reigning African champions on the pitch, face two-time champions France, Erling Haaland’s Norway and Iraq in Group I.

Senegal famously beat holders France 1-0 on their way to the quarter-finals on their debut in 2002, and Sarr will hope to translate his club form onto the international stage as they bid for a similar upset.

Omar Marmoush (Egypt)

The 27-year-old may not have entirely lived up to his $79.5m (£59m) price tag since joining Manchester City from Eintracht Frankfurt in January last year, but Marmoush helped Pep Guardiola’s side pick up the League Cup and FA Cup this season.

The forward only started eight of City’s Premier League games in 2025-26 but he is among the first names on Egypt’s teamsheet.

Marmoush netted twice at Afcon 2025 as the North Africans finished fourth, and he will be aiming to build on those performances at his first World Cup.

While the Pharaohs were the first African nation to take part, the record seven-time continental champions are still waiting to win a game at the World Cup – with a last-16 (first round) defeat in 1934 followed by group-stage exits in 1990 and 2018.

With captain Mohamed Salah only recently back from injury after an underwhelming season with Liverpool, coach Hossam Hassan will expect Marmoush to deliver.

Source: BBC

Quote

The centre-back has been a key component in a remarkable few years for tiny Cape Verde, who reached the last eight at Afcon 2023 before finishing above continental heavyweights Cameroon in qualifying for this year’s World Cup.

Shamrock Rovers man Lopes was first approached to play for the Blues Sharks via business networking platform LinkedIn, and he initially ignored the message because it was in Portuguese.

The Dublin-born 33-year-old – whose strong Irish accent is likely to make him stand out during media duties – made his debut in 2019 and only missed one game in qualifying as the Atlantic Ocean archipelago secured a place at the finals for the first time.

Cape Verde face a daunting task in Group H, where they will come up against former winners Spain and Uruguay as well as Saudi Arabia, and Lopes’ experience and leadership at the back could prove a big factor.