World Cup 2026: Teams Through to Round of 32 and Those Eliminated
Manasi Pathak
The 2026 World Cup knockout stage is set, with the Round of 32 running from June 28 to July 3. Mexico, USA, Germany, Argentina, France, and Norway have advanced, while Haiti, Turkey, and Tunisia are out. The new format includes a head-to-head tiebreaker.
The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking shape, with the Round of 32 set to take place from June 28 to July 3.
Under the new format, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place finishers, advance to the knockout stage. This is followed by the Round of 16 (July 4-7), quarter-finals (July 9-11), semi-finals (July 14-15), the bronze medal match (July 18), and the final (July 19).
For the first time, FIFA is applying head-to-head results as the first tiebreaker instead of goal difference when teams are level on points. The priority order is: points, head-to-head points, head-to-head goal difference, head-to-head goals scored; if still tied, then overall goal difference, overall goals scored, fair-play points, and finally FIFA ranking.
Teams Through to the Round of 32
Mexico (Group A) – The co-hosts became the first team to qualify, after a 1-0 win over South Korea on June 18. They previously beat South Africa 2-0 in the opening match.
USA (Group D) – The second team to advance, earning their spot with a 2-0 win over Australia on June 19, following a 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay in their opener.
Germany (Group E) – The third team into the Round of 32 after a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on June 20. Germany started the tournament with a 7-1 victory over Curacao.
Argentina (Group J) – The defending champions sealed their place on June 22 with a 2-0 win over Austria, with Lionel Messi scoring a brace to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals. Messi also scored his first hat-trick of the tournament in a 3-0 opening win against Algeria.
France (Group I) – Title contenders secured qualification on June 23 with a 3-0 win over Iraq, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a brace. Earlier, France beat Senegal 3-1, with Mbappe scoring twice.
Norway (Group I) – A 3-2 win over Senegal in their second match officially ended Norway's 28-year World Cup absence. They started the tournament with a 4-1 win over Iraq, with Erling Haaland scoring twice.
Eliminated Teams
Haiti (Group C) – The first team eliminated, losing 3-0 to Brazil on June 19 and 1-0 to Scotland in their opener. This was Haiti's first World Cup appearance since 1974.
Turkey (Group D) – Eliminated after a 1-0 loss to Paraguay (despite the opponent playing with 10 men) on June 19. They had previously lost 2-0 to Australia in their first match after a 24-year absence from the tournament.
Tunisia (Group F) – The third team eliminated, losing 4-0 to Japan on June 20 and 5-1 to Sweden in their opening match. Tunisia have never advanced past the group stage of a World Cup.
Updated as of 02:30 GMT, June 23.
