As the 2026 World Cup moves through its third game week, teams are starting to secure their spot in the knockout rounds.
19 teams have made it to the round of 32 – which is a new round of games due to the 48-team expansion of this World Cup – so there are still 13 spaces up for grabs.
Another change this tournament is how the group tables work: they are decided on head-to-head results, rather than goal difference, so several teams secured their place as group winners after only two games.
Here’s who has booked their knockout-stage spot…
Which teams have qualified for the knockouts?
Co-hosts Mexico won Group A and qualified for the last-32 with ease after winning all three of their World Cup group games for the first time in their history. They kicked off the tournament with a 2-0 win over South Africa, before narrowly beating South Korea 1-0 to secure their status as group winners. For their final game they handily beat Czechia 3-0. Their round-of-32 game is on Tuesday, June 30 at the Azteca Stadium against one the eight best third-placed teams from Group C, E, F, H or I.
Fellow co-hosts USA started with a surprise 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay – thanks to a Folarin Balogun double – before a comfortable 2-0 victory over Australia secured their status as Group D winners. Their final game against already-eliminated Turkey on Friday is a dead rubber, so expect wholesale changes. Their round-of-32 game is on Wednesday, July 1, in San Francisco against one of the eight best third-placed teams from Group B, E, F, I or J.
Surprise package: Folarin Balogun has three goals at this World Cup
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Germany, managed by Julian Nagelsmann, were the biggest winners of the first gameweek with a 7-1 win over Curacao, but needed a late Denis Undav goal to squeeze past Ivory Coast 2-1 and win Group E. Their last game, against Ecuador, takes place tonight. Their round-of-32 match is Monday, June 29, in Boston – they play one of the eight best third-placed teams from Group A, B, C, D or F.
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 opening win and a double in the 2-0 victory over Austria to move him top of the World Cup scoring charts on 18 goals and win Group J with a game to spare. They play already-eliminated Jordan on Sunday in another dead rubber. Their round-of-32 is on Friday, July 3 in Miami when they play Group H runners-up. This, as it stands, is Uruguay, who face Spain in their last game.
Follow the leader: France captain Kylian Mbappe
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France opened their campaign with a frenetic 3-1 win over Senegal, before comfortably beating Iraq 3-0, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a brace in both and moving to 16 World Cup goals – just two behind Messi. They have qualified for the round-of-32, and as Group I winners after beating Norway.
Norway, back at the World Cup after a 28-year absence finished as runners-up after swatting away Iraq 4-1 and beat Senegal 3-2 in a topsy-turvy affair to reach the knockouts. Like Mbappe, Erling Haaland scored a brace in each to mark his debut World Cup.
Colombia may have emerged as another contender to go very far in North America. 3-1 winners in their opening Group K game against Uzbekistan, they followed that up with a 1-0 win over DR Congo to seal a place in the knockout stage. Avoid defeat against Portugal in the final group game and they will progress as winners.
Breakout star: Yohan Manzambi, 20, has scored three goals for Switzerland
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Murat Yakin’s side Switzerland have won Group B after defeating co-hosts Canada 2-1, following on from a draw with Qatar and victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina. Their round-of-32 opponent will be against a third-placed team from Group E, F, G, I or J in Vancouver on Thursday, July 2.
Co-hosts Canada drew with Bosnia and thrashed Qatar 6-0, but the 2-1 loss to the Swiss in their final game means they failed to secure a home draw for their last-32 match. They will play their knockout in Los Angeles (instead of Vancouver) against South Africa on Saturday, June 28. This is the first time the Maple Leafs have ever reached the knockout rounds.
Bosnia & Herzegovina are through as one of the eight best third-placed teams thanks to a draw with Canada and 3-1 victory over Qatar. Their opponent and date of last-32 match is unconfirmed: teams yet to play their final game, so the third-place table is still in flux.
Past and present: Neymar and Vinicius Junior
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Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil beat Group C opponents Scotland in a comfortable 3-0 win, as Vinicius Junior scored a brace and Neymar made his first appearance at this World Cup. The Selecao qualified as group winners, so their knockout game is in Houston on Sunday, June 29 against the Group F runners-up. This is currently Japan.
Morocco were almost shocked by already-eliminated Haiti, but eventually secured a 4-2 win to finish runners-up to Brazil, after a draw with the five-times winners and a 1-0 victory over the Scots. They face the Group F winners – currently the Netherlands.
South Africa have qualified to the knockouts for the first time in their history: they looked set to head home late on against Czechia, but that 1-1 draw and shock 1-0 over South Korea puts them through as runners-up in Group A behind Mexico. Bafana Bafana are confirmed to be facing Canada on Saturday, June 28 in Los Angeles.
Ivory Coast are also into the World Cup knockout stages for the very first time after beating Curacao and they have been joined by Ecuador after they came from behind to beat Germany and qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.
Australia and Paraguay played out a 0-0 draw which confirm both teams’ spots in the knockout stage, while Japan and Sweden could also not be separated as both also progressed.
