The 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage is moving fast and 7 teams have already earned their spots in the next stage, which is the round of 32. Since the tournament has been expanded to 48 teams this year, the top two teams from all 12 groups along with the 8 best 3rd place teams will move on to the knockout rounds.
This will be the first time ever in the history of the FIFA World Cup that the round of 32 stage will be played in a knockout format. Previously, the quadrennial tournament used to begin from this juncture but it has all changed now.
Last edition’s finalists Argentina and France have already qualified for the knockouts whereas Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal took a major step forward yesterday towards the last 32 with a massive 5-0 win against Uzbekistan in their 2nd group game.
After winning their opening two matches, these teams secured their places with a game to spare.
Qualified Teams
-
Mexico (Group A): The co-hosts were the first country to qualify. They beat South Korea 1-0 and South Africa 2-0, guaranteeing they will top their group and play their next match at home.
-
United States (Group D): The USMNT also took full advantage of playing at home. They beat Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0 to secure their place in the next round.
-
Germany (Group E): After struggling in recent World Cups, Germany bounced back quickly. They beat Curacao 7-1 and Ivory Coast 2-1 to book their ticket.
-
Argentina (Group J): The defending champions are safely through after picking up two straight wins against Austria and Jordan.
-
France (Group I): France showed their strength early, winning both of their opening matches to advance easily.
-
Norway (Group I): Joining France from the same group, Norway also won their first two games to guarantee a top-two finish.
-
Colombia (Group K): Colombia rounds out the early qualifiers by securing six points from their opening two fixtures.
Who have been eliminated?
After the conclusion of 2nd round group games, nations like Haiti, Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey, and Panama got eliminated from the tournament after suffering back-to-back defeats.
Who are in contention to reach round of 32 from 3rd place?
As it stands – Sweden, Scotland, Croatia, Algeria, Paraguay, Cape Verde, Belgium and Czechia are the 8 best 3rd place teams who are most likely to qualify for the round of 32 which begins from Monday, June 29.
How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India
Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across Zee5 app and website. Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be available on the Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.
