World Cup 2026: Teams Advancing to Knockout Stage and Eliminated So Far
Manasi Pathak, Al Jazeera English
The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins with a new 32-team round, featuring 48 teams for the first time. As of June 24, six teams have qualified for the next round, while five have been eliminated. New tie-breaking rules prioritize head-to-head results over goal difference.
The knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is taking shape, with the round of 32 scheduled from June 28 to July 3. This marks the first time the tournament has expanded from 32 to 48 teams, leading to a change in competition format.
Knockout Format
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-placed teams, advance to the knockout stage. The round of 32 is the first knockout round, followed by the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a third-place match. The final will be held on July 19.
Detailed schedule:
- Group stage: June 11-27
- Round of 32: June 28-July 3
- Round of 16: July 4-7
- Quarter-finals: July 9-11
- Semi-finals: July 14-15
- Third-place match: July 18
- Final: July 19
New Tie-Breaking Rules
FIFA is using head-to-head results instead of goal difference as the primary tie-breaker for the first time when teams are level on points. If two or more teams in the same group have equal points after the group stage, the following criteria are applied in order:
Step One:
- Highest points in matches between the teams concerned.
- Goal difference in matches between the teams concerned (head-to-head).
- Goals scored in matches between the teams concerned.
Step Two: If still tied, apply:
- Overall goal difference.
- Overall goals scored.
- Fair play points (based on yellow and red cards).
Step Three: If still unresolved, ranking based on the most recent FIFA rankings.
For the eight best third-placed teams, the priority order is: points, goal difference, goals scored, fair play points, and finally FIFA rankings.
Teams Qualified for Round of 32 (as of June 24, 03:30 GMT):
- Mexico (Group A) - Co-hosts, top of Group A after a 1-0 win over South Korea on June 18. They opened with a 2-0 win over South Africa.
- USA (Group D) - Beat Australia 2-0 on June 19, top of Group D. They beat Paraguay 4-1 in their opening match.
- Germany (Group E) - Beat Ivory Coast 2-1 on June 20, after a 7-1 win over Curacao in their first match.
- Argentina (Group J) - Beat Austria 2-0 on June 22, with Lionel Messi scoring two goals to become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals. The defending champions secured top spot in the group.
- France (Group I) - Beat Iraq 3-0 on June 23, with Kylian Mbappe scoring two goals. They beat Senegal 3-1 in their opener.
- Norway (Group I) - Beat Senegal 3-2 on June 23, qualifying after a 28-year absence. They previously beat Iraq 4-1.
Teams Eliminated:
- Haiti (Group C) - First eliminated after a 3-0 loss to Brazil on June 19, having lost 1-0 to Scotland earlier.
- Turkey (Group D) - Eliminated after a 1-0 loss to Paraguay (down to 10 men) on June 19, having lost 2-0 to Australia in their first match.
- Tunisia (Group F) - Lost 4-0 to Japan on June 20, following a 5-1 defeat to Sweden.
- Jordan (Group J) - Lost 2-1 to Algeria on June 22, having lost 3-1 to Austria in their opener.
- Panama (Group L) - Lost 1-0 to Croatia on June 23, after a 1-0 loss to Ghana.
