As the FIFA World Cup turns 96, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq and Iran represent the largest single gathering of teams from this part of the world the competition has ever seen—made possible in large part by the expansion to 48 teams. Jordan are making their debut at this stage while Iraq returns after 40 years and Algeria after 12. There is lingering uncertainty about whether Iran will play, but there is also now increasing optimism.
Assuming Iran participate, can the statistical significance of nine Middle East teams being at World football’s biggest stage translate to a remarkable collective showing? Trends show this is likely. The region is getting stronger, but, of course, others are not standing still. Starting with this article, we examine the chances of the nine teams at the World Cup. We begin in North Africa, where three sides from the Maghreb—Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia—share a coastline and a passion for football, but will come to the World Cup with different expectations.
Morocco
On their way to the semifinals at Qatar 2022, Morocco overcame Belgium, Spain and Portugal. They finished fourth, beaten by Croatia in the third-place play-off. So, they arrive in the United States not as underdogs but as a team measured against their own recent history—they are now ranked eight in the world, an all-time high. The biggest change is on the touchline. The architect of the 2022 run, coach Walid Regragui, was replaced in March by Mohamed Ouahbi—previously the under-20 coach. Ouahbi did win the under-20 World Cup in 2025, but this is a different level altogether.
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Technically, it can be argued that he may be even better than Regragui, owing to his significant exposure in Belgium. But, it is not technicality that took The Atlas Lions to new heights under Regragui. It is the grit and the mentality he installed. He will be missed, but Ouahbi will hope that the core of the squad that remains from 2022 can help the team to retain some of that tenacity and edge.
The quality in their squad, led by the world’s best right-back in Achraf Hakimi, will also make them a difficult team to play against. Their group—Brazil, Scotland, Haiti—might turn out to be relatively comfortable. As things stand, even Brazil could find the going tough against Morocco. How the team handles that match, their opener (in the early hours of June 14 in India), will tell us if the players are behind Ouahbi.
Algeria
Captain Riyad Mahrez has already announced his likely retirement after the World Cup. That gives Algeria’s campaign a particular weight as the entire nation looks to give the legend a worthy send-off. Mahrez, one of the best African players of all time, is now 35. The question is not whether he can still influence games, but whether The Desert Warriors (rank 28) will have enough around him.
The squad has genuine quality with a sizeable contingent of footballers plying their trade in top European leagues and an experienced coach in Vladimir Petkovic. But, they are up against Argentina, Austria and Jordan. On paper, that seems okay—put up a fight against Argentina, get a result against Austria (rank 24) and beat Jordan. Given that even a third-place finish might be enough to go through, this seems like a sound approach. But, Austria are one of the dark horses of the tournament and the fact that Algeria are playing them in the last match could make things tricky. Beating Jordan in the second match is imperative and so is defending well against Argentina in the opener.
Tunisia
Six World Cups. Zero knockout appearances. Tunisia (rank 44) are the regular nearly-team in African football. And 2026 is not likely to change that pattern. Their group—the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden—offers no easy route through.
That said, Tunisia have beaten France in a group match at the 2022 World Cup, and have been competitive in almost every group they have entered. They are not a team that rolls over. They tend to exit on narrow margins, leaving supporters wondering what might have been.
The 2004 AFCON winners have the defensive discipline to make life uncomfortable for anyone. What they have historically lacked is the attacking quality to convert the competitiveness into points. This time around 23-year-old Premier League midfielder Hannibal Mejbri offers genuine quality. But, the ex-Manchester United player has not yet shown a level of consistency that could alter his national team’s fortunes. So, it is likely that Tunisia will leave having done what they always do—make it difficult, and go home early.
