Arsene Wenger: 'African Teams Will Challenge for World Cup Soon' Says Iconic Ex Arsenal Coach

• No team from the African continent has ever won a World Cup trophy
• Morocco came close at the 2022 showpiece after reaching the semis
• Arsene Wenger believes an African team will win a World Cup soon

An African team came close to winning the World Cup for the first time in 2022, during the Qatar edition.

Former Arsenal manager and FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger, believes the continent will produce a World Cup winner soon.

However, African teams have struggled to make a mark at the World Cup in the last few decades.

Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, and Morocco are the only African teams to reach the quarter-final of the global football showpiece, per the Athletic.

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In addition, the tournament has only been won by teams from Europe and South America.

England, France, Brazil, Portugal, and defending champions Argentina are the favourites to win the title in 2026, in North America.

Can an African team win a World Cup?

Wenger believes if the continent develops more academies, a World Cup trophy isn't that far off.

"Let’s not forget that we have more teams at the World Cup in 2026, 48 teams, and I, personally, have a dream that in every confederation - especially in Africa - they can really challenge for the World Cup. We are not far away but they need to make that little step," he said via SuperSport.

Nigeria, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Senegal, and Ghana are some countries tipped to win Africa's first World Cup trophy.

When the tournament was held on African soil, in 2010 in South Africa, Ghana reached the quarter-final. They were close to booking a semi-final, but it wasn't to be.

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Morocco make World Cup history

Sports Brief previously reported on Morocco making World Cup history as the first nation from the continent to reach the semi-final.

The Atlas Lions shocked Portugal in a hard-fought one-nil victory to progress to the last four of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Walid Regragui's side took a 42nd-minute lead and then had to overcome a second-half onslaught from Cristiano Ronaldo's side.