In This Article
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially entered the knockout stage, with the expanded 48-team field now cut down to 32.
For the first time in World Cup history, the tournament includes a Round of 32. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups advanced automatically, while the eight best third-placed teams also moved on to the knockout stage.
Teams Qualified for the 2026 World Cup Round of 32
| Group | Team |
|---|---|
| Group A | Mexico, South Africa |
| Group B | Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Group C | Brazil, Morocco |
| Group D | United States, Australia, Paraguay |
| Group E | Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador |
| Group F | Netherlands, Japan, Sweden |
| Group G | Belgium, Egypt |
| Group H | Spain, Cape Verde |
| Group I | France, Norway, Senegal |
| Group J | Argentina, Austria, Algeria |
| Group K | Colombia, Portugal, DR Congo |
| Group L | England, Croatia, Ghana |
Teams Eliminated from the 2026 World Cup
While the expanded format gives more teams a path into the knockout stage, some nations have already been mathematically eliminated from Round of 32 contention.
| Group | Team |
|---|---|
| Group A | Czechia, South Korea |
| Group B | Qatar |
| Group C | Haiti, Scotland |
| Group D | Türkiye |
| Group E | Curaçao |
| Group F | Tunisia |
| Group G | New Zealand, Iran |
| Group H | Uruguay, Saudi Arabia |
| Group I | Iraq |
| Group J | Jordan |
| Group K | Uzbekistan |
| Group L | Panama |
The Football World Cup 2026 knockout stage is here — and Laki Daily is bringing the excitement straight to you! From June 29 to July 20, 2026, every Fantasy Football coin contest you join during the World Cup knockout rounds counts toward your shot at a massive ₱10,000 cash prize. Join now and make this World Cup unforgettable!
Third-Placed Teams Ranking
| Third-Placed Team | Points | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B) | 4 | Qualified |
| Paraguay (Group D) | 4 | Qualified |
| Ecuador (Group E) | 4 | Qualified |
| Sweden (Group F) | 4 | Qualified |
| Ghana (Group L) | 4 | Qualified |
| DR Congo (Group K) | 4 | Qualified |
| Algeria (Group J) | 4 | Qualified |
| Senegal (Group I) | 3 | Qualified |
| South Korea (Group A) | 3 | Eliminated |
| Scotland (Group C) | 3 | Eliminated |
| Iran (Group G) | 3 | Eliminated |
| Uruguay (Group H) | 2 | Eliminated |
How Does the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 Work?
The 2026 World Cup features 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four.
Each team played three group-stage matches. The top two teams in every group automatically advanced, while the eight best third-placed teams also moved into the knockout stage.
That created a 32-team knockout bracket, beginning with the Round of 32 before moving into the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final.
How Were the Best Third-Placed Teams Decided?
The 12 third-placed teams were ranked against each other, with only the top eight advancing.
The ranking was based on points first, followed by goal difference, goals scored and disciplinary record if needed.
2026 World Cup Knockout Stage Schedule (PH Time)
Round of 32: June 29 – July 4
Round of 16: July 5 – July 8
Quarterfinals: July 10 – July 12
Semifinals: July 15 – July 16
Third-place match: July 19
Final: July 20
Team-by-Team Updates
Advanced
Mexico (Group A)
Mexico became the first team to qualify after winning its first two matches and later securing top spot in Group A.
South Africa (Group A)
South Africa advanced from Group A after beating South Korea, reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
Switzerland (Group B)
Switzerland topped Group B with seven points after beating Canada in its final group match.
Canada (Group B)
Canada secured second place in Group B despite losing to Switzerland, advancing on goal-difference advantage over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B)
Bosnia and Herzegovina finished third in Group B and was confirmed as one of the best third-placed qualifiers.
Brazil (Group C)
Brazil advanced as Group C winner after beating Scotland 3-0 in its final group-stage match.
Morocco (Group C)
Morocco joined Brazil in the Round of 32 after finishing second in Group C.
United States (Group D)
The United States qualified from Group D after opening with wins over Paraguay and Australia.
Australia (Group D)
Australia advanced from Group D after holding Paraguay to a 0-0 draw and finishing second in the group.
Paraguay (Group D)
Paraguay finished third in Group D with four points and secured a place as one of the best third-placed teams.
Germany (Group E)
Germany booked its place in the Round of 32 after early wins over Curaçao and Ivory Coast.
Ivory Coast (Group E)
Ivory Coast advanced from Group E after beating Curaçao 2-0 in its final group match.
Ecuador (Group E)
Ecuador reached the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams after upsetting Germany 2-1.
Netherlands (Group F)
The Netherlands topped Group F after beating Tunisia 3-1 in its final group match.
Japan (Group F)
Japan finished second in Group F after a 1-1 draw with Sweden.
Sweden (Group F)
Sweden advanced as one of the best third-placed teams after drawing with Japan.
Belgium (Group G)
Belgium reached the Round of 32 after beating New Zealand 5-1 and finishing top of Group G.
Egypt (Group G)
Egypt finished second in Group G with five points, sealing its place in the knockout stage.
Spain (Group H)
Spain qualified as Group H winner after beating Uruguay in its final group match.
Cape Verde (Group H)
Cape Verde made history by reaching the Round of 32 in its World Cup debut after finishing second in Group H.
France (Group I)
France confirmed its Round of 32 place after wins over Senegal and Iraq.
Norway (Group I)
Norway qualified from Group I after beating Iraq and Senegal in its first two matches.
Senegal (Group I)
Senegal advanced as one of the best third-placed teams after beating Iraq 5-0 in its final group match.
Argentina (Group J)
Defending champion Argentina advanced from Group J after wins over Algeria and Austria.
Austria (Group J)
Austria advanced as the second-placed team in Group J after its final group-stage draw with Algeria.
Algeria (Group J)
Algeria secured one of the final Round of 32 spots as the best third-placed team.
Colombia (Group K)
Colombia booked its Round of 32 spot after beating DR Congo 1-0.
Portugal (Group K)
Portugal sealed its knockout berth after a win and a draw confirmed enough points to advance.
DR Congo (Group K)
DR Congo reached the knockout stage after beating Uzbekistan in its final group match.
England (Group L)
England secured a Round of 32 place after collecting enough points from its first two group matches.
Croatia (Group L)
Croatia finished second in Group L and punched its ticket to the knockout stage.
Ghana (Group L)
Ghana also advanced to the Round of 32 after collecting four points from its first two matches.
Eliminated
Czechia (Group A)
Czechia was eliminated after losing to Mexico in its final Group A match.
South Korea (Group A)
South Korea finished third in Group A with three points, but it was not enough to advance.
Qatar (Group B)
Qatar was knocked out after losing 3-1 to Bosnia and Herzegovina in its final Group B match.
Haiti (Group C)
Haiti was eliminated from Group C after defeats to Scotland and Brazil.
Scotland (Group C)
Scotland finished third in Group C with three points but missed out on the best third-placed spots.
Türkiye (Group D)
Türkiye was eliminated from Group D after losing its first two matches against Australia and Paraguay.
Curaçao (Group E)
Curaçao exited the tournament after losing 2-0 to Ivory Coast in its final Group E match.
Tunisia (Group F)
Tunisia was eliminated after finishing Group F with three losses.
New Zealand (Group G)
New Zealand was eliminated after losing to Belgium and finishing bottom of Group G.
Iran (Group G)
Iran finished third in Group G with three points, but failed to reach the Round of 32.
Uruguay (Group H)
Uruguay exited the tournament after losing to Spain and finishing third in Group H with only two points.
Saudi Arabia (Group H)
Saudi Arabia was eliminated after finishing bottom of Group H with two points.
Iraq (Group I)
Iraq was knocked out after finishing bottom of Group I without a point.
Jordan (Group J)
Jordan, one of the tournament debutants, was eliminated after defeats to Austria and Algeria.
Uzbekistan (Group K)
Uzbekistan’s debut World Cup campaign ended in the group stage.
Panama (Group L)
Panama was knocked out after back-to-back 1-0 losses to Ghana and Croatia.
