10 African stars expected to steal the spotlight at the World Cup

Names like Roger Milla, JJ Okocha andSamuel Eto’o Asamoah Gyan and El Hadj Diouf put themselves in golden letters in the history of the World Cup, and recently several other continental stars made history in the World Cup, with the Moroccan generation in Qatar 2022, led by Achraf Hakimi, Youssef En-Nesyri and Azzedine Ounahi, who contributed to the history of the “lions”.

With the start of the 2026 World Cup approaching, the biggest edition in the history of the competition with the participation of 48 teams, including 10 African teams for the first time, attention is turning to the players who are doing the best in major competitions, and who have the ability to change this skill to the whole world.

The most famous of these stars are:

1. Mohamed Salah – Egypt

9 seasons and Liverpool It was enough to place Salah among the legends of the old club, after combining the titles of the team with his achievements, from the Champions League in 2019 to the title of the English Premier League twice, in addition to 4 Golden Boot awards, an unwavering presence and continuous progress.

This weight extends to the Egyptian national team, where the 33-year-old star (33 years old) carries the offensive burden as a leader on the field and outside, which was also seen in the recent African Cup of Nations by scoring 4 goals and assisting one, remaining a well-known name that Egyptian fans are waiting for in the next World Cup, which will show its final appearance on the big stage.

2. Ibrahim Diaz – Morocco

Despite his late arrival to Morocco’s national team and his absence from the 2022 World Cup, Diaz quickly connected with the team due to his versatility and skill, which was showcased in the 2025 African Cup of Nations by scoring five goals.

These characteristics are also reflected in his age and his group real Madrid The Spaniard plays key roles, either as a substitute who changes the pace of the game or as a key player who takes on difficult tasks intelligently, capitalizing on his speed and getting into tight spaces, in addition to his defensive presence.

3. Hannibal Al-Majabri – Tunisia

In a midfield that needs a player who can weave songs and link lines, Al-Mujabri stands out with his ability to keep the ball under pressure and give the attackers money with accurate passes.

The 23-year-old plays as a midfielder, but can play a variety of midfield roles, giving the Tunisian national team a variety of solutions in preparation.

And slowly Al-Mujabri He played for Manchester United, England, and met with Birmingham City, England, and Seville, Spain, before moving to Burnley, England, in the summer of 2024. He also represented the French Sunni team before choosing his international route to represent Tunisia in 2021, and since then he has continued to consolidate his place as one of Cargetha’s most important players.

4. Amine Jouiri – Algeria

Numbers are not the focus of Gouiri’s interest, which he confirmed in previous interviews with the website of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), where he said that his role model is the French star Karim Benzema. He prefers to be involved in the making of the game rather than focusing on the statistics, which is an approach he also adopts.

This does not diminish his ability as a striker, but it does show the diversity of his roles, as he has scored 10 goals for his French club, Olympique Marseille, this season, including 5 assists in all competitions.

Despite representing France in various teams, he chose… Goiri Defending the colors of the “Afnak” team at the senior level, and in just two and a half years, he assisted 12 goals in 21 international matches, clearly confirming his value and expected work at the next World Cup.

Before Bosnia’s Vladimir Petkovic announced his final World Cup squad, Gouiri is seen as a familiar name expected to bolster Algeria’s attack.

5. Sadio Mane – Senegal

Despite his departure from Europe, Mane’s influence has not waned The national team of SenegalIn fact, he added new dimensions to his leadership role on the field, without losing his decisive power, as he scored 5 goals in the qualifying matches that helped the “Lion of Teranga” qualify for the World Cup for the fourth time in his country’s history and the third in a row.

Mane also excelled at the 2025 African Cup of Nations by scoring two goals and creating the same, and the 34-year-old continues his impressive displays with his Saudi club Al-Nassr, having managed to score 22 goals in various games this season.

6. Amad Diallo – Côte d’Ivoire

With his accurate left foot and his attacks from the right wing, Diallo, the 23-year-old winger, is often the one who makes the difference, which he proved by scoring 3 goals in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, although the “Elephants” campaign ended in the quarter-finals.

Amad Diallo joined Manchester United in January 2021 for 21 million euros, from Italian side Atalanta. After two loans to Scottish Rangers and English Sunderland, he has now become an important part of the team’s strong attack, since he scored 16 goals and provided 15 assists in 95 games with the “Red Devils.”

7. Antoine Semenyo – Ghana

Antoine Simenho to Manchester City From Bournemouth, his competition in the English Premier League, last January, put him in a very different position, where he no longer relied on speed, power and skill, but became part of a system based on control and high speed, without his strength in front of a small goal.

Simenho scored 8 goals and provided 3 assists in 23 games for Manchester City. The 26-year-old is also known for his versatility in playing different offensive roles, which increases his value within the team.

This growth makes him one of the most popular players in the front line of the national team GhanaOn the job the team wants to go beyond the group stage at least in the World Cup this summer.

8. Lily Foster – South Africa

Foster is a physically strong player who relies on pressure and intelligent movement within the penalty area, he has a clear ability to finish the attack and use the space, qualities that were shown in his work with the Burnley team, where he helped the team to return to form. English Premier League In the 2024-2025 season, before this season, he continued his presence in the famous competition, scoring 3 goals and creating two goals in 1,372 minutes.

At international level, the 25-year-old has established himself as South Africa’s first attacking option, scoring 10 goals in 30 games, including two braces in the qualifiers.

9. Cedric Bakambu – Democratic Republic of the Congo

Bakambu’s experience is evident in his style, as he is a striker who doesn’t need a lot of space to switch, but knows where to stand and when to move inside the area.

On his work between France, China, Turkey andSpainBakambu has kept his cool, and on his return to Europe, he continues to provide consistent numbers in front of goals, having scored 7 goals against Spanish Real Betis in all competitions this season.

At the international level, Bakambu’s contribution is also evident by scoring 4 goals and making 3 assists in the qualifying rounds, and even at the age of 35, he remains a name that can lead the Democratic Republic of Congo to a famous stage in the finals of the world.

10. Sidney Lopez Cabral – Cape Verde

After his amazing skills in Portugal League With Estrella Amadora in the first half of the season, scoring 5 goals and providing 3 assists, Benfica decided to invest 6 million euros to include him last January.

The 23-year-old has the rare opportunity to play with both feet with equal accuracy, which gives him the power to appear on both sides with equal power, whether he is a full-back, a winger, or flying at the back inside the system with three defenders.

In the world, Sidney Cabral did not take time to dedicate himself to the national team of Cape Verde, after scoring 5 goals in the first 8 games, becoming one of the most popular players in the team.