World Cup standings 2026: Updated knockout bracket, clinching scenarios through June 25 originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Each day that passes by on the calendar means a sunrise and sunset closer to the beginning of the 2026 World Cup knockout stages. While some teams have already punched their ticket for the Round of 32, the vast majority of the tournament’s field is still battling on the pitch for a bona fide spot.
Only a handful of teams have qualified thus far, but that number is set to grow in the near future. For Thursday’s slate of matches, the Ivory Coast, Curacao, Ecuador, Sweden, Japan, the Netherlands, Australia, and Paraguay are all fighting for final positioning.
Germany and the U.S. have already won their groups, while Tunisia and Turkey have been eliminated from the teams playing on Thursday.
Here’s the latest look at which teams are on their way to the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.
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World Cup 2026 standings
World Cup Group A table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
| 1. | Mexico – Q | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 |
| 2. | South Africa – Q | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| 3. | South Korea | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| 4. | Czechia – E | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -4 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group B table
| Pos. | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
| 1. | Switzerland -Q | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 |
| 2. | Canada – Q | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 |
| 3. | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 |
| 4. | Qatar – E | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | -8 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group C table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brazil – Q | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | +6 |
| 2. | Morocco – Q | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| 3. | Scotland | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -3 |
| 4. | Haiti – E | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | -6 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group D table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States – Q | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 |
| 2. | Australia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3. | Paraguay | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
| 4. | Turkey – E | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -3 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group E table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Germany – Q | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 |
| 2. Ivory Coast | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3. Ecuador | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| 4. Curacao | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -6 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group F table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Netherlands | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 |
| 2. | Japan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 |
| 3. | Sweden | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 4. | Tunisia – E | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | -8 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group G table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Egypt | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2. Iran | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3. Belgium | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 4. New Zealand | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group H table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Spain | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| 2. Uruguay | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 3. Cape Verde | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 4. Saudi Arabia | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -4 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group I table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. France – Q | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 |
| 2. Norway – Q | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 |
| 3. Senegal | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | -3 |
| 4. Iraq | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | -6 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group J table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Argentina – Q | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 |
| 2. Austria | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 3. Algeria | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
| 4. Jordan – E | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | -3 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group K table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Colombia – Q | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 |
| 2. Portugal | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | +5 |
| 3. DR Congo | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| 4. Uzbekistan | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | -7 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup Group L table
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. England | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| 2. Ghana | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| 3.Croatia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | -1 |
| 4. Panama | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
World Cup 2026 knockout stage
| Qualified | Group winner | Runner-up | |
| Group A | Mexico, South Africa | Mexico | South Africa |
| Group B | Switzerland, Canada | Switzerland | Canada |
| Group C | Brazil, Morocco | Brazil | Morocco |
| Group D | United States | United States | TBD |
| Group E | Germany | Germany | TBD |
| Group F | TBD | TBD | |
| Group G | TBD | TBD | |
| Group H | TBD | TBD | |
| Group I | France, Norway | TBD | TBD |
| Group J | Argentina | Argentina | TBD |
| Group K | Colombia | TBD | TBD |
| Group L | TBD | TBD |
Third place qualifiers
| Rank | Third-place team |
| 1. | TBD |
| 2. | TBD |
| 3. | TBD |
| 4. | TBD |
| 5. | TBD |
| 6. | TBD |
| 7. | TBD |
| 8. | TBD |
MORE:Updated third place standings | Teams eliminated from World Cup
World Cup 2026 clinching scenarios
Group A
Mexico
Has qualified as group winner with a win over South Korea.
South Korea
Was eliminated from the top two in Group A with their 1-0 loss to South Africa. They can still qualify as a third-place team.
South Africa
Qualified to Round of 32 as second place in Group A with their 1-0 win over South Korea.
Czechia
Eliminated from the 2026 World Cup with their 3-0 loss to Mexico.
Group B
Switzerland
Switzerland progressed as group winners thanks to a 3-1 win over Canada in Vancouver.
Canada
Jesse Marsch’s co-hosts were forced to settle for second and will now have to hit the road, with their Round of 32 match in Los Angeles on Sunday. June 28.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia’s first World Cup win since 2014 against Qatar moved them on to four points, behind Canada on goal difference. That is likely to be enough to go through as one of the best third-place finishers
Qatar
Qatar is eliminated and has taken one point from their past two World Cups, the first of those as hosts.
Group C
Brazil
Clinched Round of 32 berth with win over Scotland.
Morocco
Clinched Round of 32 berth with win over Haiti.
Scotland
Eliminated from World Cup after 3-0 loss to Brazil.
Haiti
Eliminated from World Cup after 4-2 loss to Morocco.
Group D
United States
Won Group D and qualified for the knockout rounds after beating Australia 2-0 and Turkey’s loss to Paraguay.
Australia
Clinched a spot in the knockout round with Turkey’s loss to Paraguay. Can finish second in Group D with a win against Paraguay.
Paraguay
Clinched a spot in the knockout round with a win against Turkey. Can finish second in Group D with a win against Australia.
Turkey
Eliminated after their 1-0 loss to Paraguay.
Group E
Germany
Qualified for the knockout round and clinched Group E with a win over the Ivory Coast and Ecuador’s draw against Curacao.
Ivory Coast
Will qualify with a win or a draw against Curacao.
Ecuador
Will be eliminated if they lose to the Ivory Coast.
Curacao
Will be eliminated if the Ivory Coast wins or draws against Ecuador.
Group F
Sweden
Will qualify for the knockout stage if they beat Japan in their final match.
Tunisia
Will be eliminated if they lose to Japan and the Netherlands beat Sweden.
Netherlands
Will clinch a knockout stage position if the Netherlands wins against Tunisia in their final group-stage match.
Japan
Must beat either Tunisia and/or Sweden in their final two group-stage matches.
Group G
Egypt
Can clinch first place in Group G with a win over Iran in the final group stage match. Egypt can fall no further than third in the group standings, but is not yet guaranteed a place in the knockouts due to tiebreakers.
Iran
Can clinch first place in Group G with a win over Egypt and a Belgium loss or draw in the final group stage match.
Belgium
Can clinch second place in Group G with a win over New Zealand and Iran’s defeat to Egypt.
New Zealand
Can rise as high as second place in Group G with a win over Belgium and Iran’s defeat to Egypt.
Group H
Spain
Can clinch first place in Group H with a win over Uruguay in the final group stage match. A draw coupled with a Cape Verde win over Saudi Arabia would create a three-way tie atop the group.
Uruguay
Can clinch first place in Group H with a win over Spain and a Cape Verde loss or draw.
Cape Verde
Can rise to second place in Group H with a win over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay’s defeat to Spain.
Saudi Arabia
Can rise to third in Group H with a win over Cape Verde and Uruguay’s defeat to Spain.
Group I
France
France qualified for the knockout round with a 3-0 victory over Iraq. It will clinch first place in the group with a win or a draw against Norway in the final match.
Norway
Norway qualified for the knockout round with a 3-2 victory over Senegal. It can clinch first place in the group with a win against France in the final match.
Iraq
Will be eliminated with a loss or a draw in the final game.
Senegal
Will be eliminated with a draw or loss to Iraq in the final game.
Group J
Argentina
Won Group J and qualified for the knockout rounds after beating Austria 2-0, and Jordan’s loss to Algeria.
Austria
Will qualify for the Round of 32 with a win or a draw against Jordan in the final group match.
Algeria
Will qualify for the Round of 32 with a win against Austria in the final group match. If Algeria loses, it will come down to third-place tiebreakers.
Jordan
Eliminated with their 2-1 loss to Algeria.
Group K
Portugal
Will qualify as group winners if they defeat Colombia on matchday three.
Colombia
Has qualified to Round of 32. If Colombia draws/wins against Portugal in the final group-stage game, they win the group.
DR Congo
Can qualify for the Round of 32 as a third-place team, or finish second in Group K if they outscore Portugal by 6+ goals in the final match against Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan
Must beat DR Congo to have a chance of qualifying as a third-place team.
Group L
England
Will qualify with a win over Panama in the final group match.
Ghana
Will qualify with a win over Croatia in the final group match.
Croatia
Will qualify with a win over Ghana in the final group match.
Panama
Were eliminated with their loss to Croatia.
World Cup 2026 schedule for knockout stage
Round of 32
| Date | Match No. | Matchup |
| Sun., June 28 | 73 | Group A runners-up v Canada |
| Mon., June 29 | 74 | Germany v Group A/B/C/D/F third place |
| 75 | Group F winners v Group C runners-up | |
| 76 | Group C winners v Group F runners-up | |
| Tues., June 30 | 77 | Group I winners v Group C/D/F/G/H third place |
| 78 | Group E runners-up v Group I runners-up | |
| 79 | Mexico v Group C/E/F/H/I third place | |
| Wed., July 1 | 80 | Group L winners v Group E/H/I/J/K third place |
| 81 | USA v Group B/E/F/I/J third place | |
| 82 | Group G winners v Group A/E/H/I/J third place | |
| Thurs., July 2 | 83 | Group K runners-up v Group L runners-up |
| 84 | Group H winners v Group J runners-up | |
| 85 | Switzerland v Group E/F/G/I/J third place | |
| Fri., July 3 | 86 | Argentina v Group H runners-up |
| 87 | Group K winners v Group D/E/I/J/L third place | |
| 88 | Group D runners-up v Group G runners-up |
Round of 16
| Date | Match No. | Matchup |
| Sat., July 4 | 89 | Winner match 74 v Winner match 77 |
| 90 | Winner match 73 v Winner match 75 | |
| Sun., July 5 | 91 | Winner match 76 v Winner match 78 |
| 92 | Winner match 79 v Winner match 80 | |
| Mon., July 6 | 93 | Winner match 83 v Winner match 84 |
| 94 | Winner match 81 v Winner match 82 | |
| Tue., July 7 | 95 | Winner match 86 v Winner match 88 |
| 96 | Winner match 85 v Winner match 87 |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Match No. | Matchup |
| Thurs., July 9 | 97 | Winner match 89 v Winner match 90 |
| Fri. July 10 | 98 | Winner match 93 v Winner match 94 |
| Sat., July 11 | 99 | Winner match 91 v Winner match 92 |
| 100 | Winner match 95 v Winner match 96 |
Semifinals
| Date | Match No. | Matchup |
| Tue., July 12 | 101 | Winner match 97 v Winner match 98 |
| Wed. July 13 | 102 | Winner match 99 v Winner match 100 |
Third-place
| Date | Match No. | Matchup |
| Sat., July 18 | 103 | Runner-up match 101 v Runner-up match 102 |
Final
| Date | Match No. | Matchup |
| Sun., July 19 | 104 | Winner match 101 v Winner match 102 |
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