Congo DR and Cape Verde Shock the World: Africa's World Cup Underdogs

Both squads defied expectations to qualify for the global tournament, and their success has been noted by former World Cup stars Diego Forlan and Hristo Stoichkov, who called the teams "standout" stories from the continent [186531]. The praise comes as the tournament enters its final stages, with both African nations having already secured their places in the knockout phase [183147][186531]. Meanwhile, France has entered the knockout rounds as a top favorite, boasting an attack led by Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and Bradley Barcola [186449]. However, the tournament has also been plagued by extreme weather, with matches delayed and hundreds of fans needing medical help due to dangerous heat and storms, according to a new analysis by UN Climate [185771]. Two games—Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia in Miami and Sweden vs. Tunisia in Monterrey—were played in heat above the safety threshold set by the global players' union FIFPRO, which is 28°C on the "wet-bulb globe temperature" scale [185771]. The first weather-related delay in a World Cup since 1974 occurred on June 22, when the France vs. Iraq match was postponed for two hours due to heavy rain and lightning [185771].