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As the World Cup group stage enters its second round of matches, some nations will be booking their places in the knockout stages, while others will be heading home.
The new tournament format means most routes to the latter stages will remain open heading into the third round of games.
2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets
At the previous seven World Cups, a 32-team slate was reduced to 16 for the knockout rounds, with the simple equation of the top two from each of the eight four-team groups going through.
Now a 48-team tournament, the top two from each of the 12 groups will be joined by the eight best third-place teams.
It means that we will lose 16 teams at the end of the round-robin phase, with plenty of moving parts to keep track of, especially when it comes to the ranking of the best third-place finishers.
Below is a breakdown of every World Cup group as they stand and what each team needs to progress to the knockout rounds or avoid early elimination.
JUMP TO GROUP: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L
World Cup bracket 2026
World Cup Group A standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Mexico
Has qualified as group winner with a win over South Korea
South Korea
Will qualify as second-place team with win or tie vs South Africa
South Africa
Is still alive to qualify as second-placel with win over Mexico and and South Korea loss to Czechia.
Czechia
Is still alive to qualify as second-place with win over South Korea and and South Africa loss or draw to Mexico.
Group A schedule, results
World Cup Group B standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Canada and Switzerland
Canada and Switzerland are tied atop the group with four points apiece. The two teams are set to face each other next with first place on the line. Switzerland must win to finish atop the group because Canada holds the goal-differential advantage. Canada will secure first place with either a win or a draw.
Bosnia and Qatar
It's not mathematically impossible for either team to finish second in the group, but that would require significant help in the goal-differential tiebreaker. That said, the two countries are set to face each other in the final group-stage match, and the loser still stands a solid chance of advancing as a third-place finisher.
Group B schedule, results
World Cup Group C standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Scotland
Will guarantee a knockout place if they beat Morocco. If Steve Clarke's men secure this result and Brazil fail to beat Haiti they would be confirmed as group winners.
Haiti
Will be eliminated if they lose to Brazil and Morocco beat Scotland.
Morocco and Brazil
Neither can be eliminated nor guaranteed qualification after their opening match finished 1-1.
Group C schedule, results
World Cup Group D standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
United States
Will qualify as group winners if they defeat Australia and Turkey do not beat Paraguay
Australia
Will qualify as group winners if they defeat the United States and Paraguay do not beat Turkey.
Paraguay
Will be eliminated if they lose to Turkey and Australia avoids defeat against the United States
Turkey
Will be eliminated if they lose to Paraguay and the United States avoids defeat against Australia.
Group D schedule, results
World Cup Group E standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Germany
Will qualify as group winners if they beat the Ivory Coast and Ecuador does not beat Curacao.
Ivory Coast
Will qualify as group winners if they beat Germany and Curacao does not beat Ecuador.
Ecuador
Will be eliminated if they lose to Curacao and Germany avoids defeat against the Ivory Coast
Curacao
Will be eliminated if they lose to Ecuador and the Ivory Coast avoids defeat against Germany.
Group E schedule, results
World Cup Group F standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Sweden
Will qualify with a victory over the Netherlands. Will go through as group winners if they beat the Dutch and Japan does not beat Tunisia.
Tunisia
Will be eliminated if they lose to Japan and the Netherlands beat Sweden.
Netherlands and Japan
Neither can be eliminated nor guaranteed qualification after their opening match finished 2-2.
Group F schedule, results
World Cup Group G standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Iran, New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt
After each game in the first round of matches finished all square, no team can qualify or be eliminated in their second match. Any team that takes at least four points from their next two matches (a win and a draw) will be guaranteed a top-two spot.
Group G schedule, results
World Cup Group H standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Cape Verde
After each game in the first round of matches finished all square, no team can qualify or be eliminated in their second match. Any team that takes at least four points from their next two matches (a win and a draw) will be guaranteed a top-two spot.
Group H schedule, results
World Cup Group I standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Norway, France, Senegal and Iraq
Norway and France, as the two winners from the first matches, playing the two defeated teams next means that no qualification or elimination matters can be decisively settled in the forthcoming round of fixtures.
Group I schedule, results
World Cup Group J standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Argentina
Will qualify as group winners if they beat Austria and Jordan does not beat Algeria.
Austria
Will qualify as group winners if they beat Argentina and Algeria does not beat Jordan.
Jordan
Will be eliminated if they lose to Algeria and Argentina avoids defeat against Austria.
Algeria
Will be eliminated if they lose to Jordan and the Austria avoids defeat against Argentina.
Group J schedule, results
World Cup Group K standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
Colombia
Will qualify as group winners if they beat DR Congo.
DR Congo and Portugal
Neither can be eliminated nor guaranteed qualification after their opening match finished 1-1.
Uzbekistan
Will be eliminated if they lose to Portugal and DR Congo defeats Colombia.
Group K schedule, results
World Cup Group L standings and scenarios
- Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
- E = Eliminated
England
Will qualify as group winners if they beat Ghana and Croatia defeats Panama.
Ghana
Will qualify as group winners if they beat England and Panama defeats Croatia.
Panama
Will be eliminated if they lose to Croatia and England defeats Ghana.
Croatia
Will be eliminated if they lose to Panama and Ghana defeats England.
Group L schedule, results
World Cup 2026 group stage tiebreakers
When wins, losses and draws alone aren't enough to determine a group's standings, the following tiebreaking procedure will be used. Expect these to come into play as the permutations noted above play out.
Overall goal difference: whichever team has the higher margin between how many goals they score and allow.
- Total goals scored: whichever team scores the most goals in the group stage.
- Head-to-head points: most points in group matches when the teams tied in the standings went against each other.
- Head-to-head goal difference: the highest margin of goals scored/against in group matches when the teams tied in the standings went against each other.
- Head-to-head goals scored: most goals in group matches when the teams tied in the standings went against each other.
- Highest team conduct score: a score that is diminished as team players/personnel get carded.
- Higher FIFA/Coca‑Cola Men’s World Ranking: the team with the higher international team rank will move on. If the teams somehow have the same ranking, the most recent past edition of the rankings will be examined.
Dom Farrell
Dom is a senior content producer. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.
Source: Sporting News
