June 27 (Daily Mirror) - The FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage is beginning to take shape as teams battle for a place in the newly expanded Round of 32. With the tournament featuring 48 nations for the first time, qualification has become more competitive, as the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed finishers advance.

Here’s everything you need to know about the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage, including the qualification format, tiebreaker rules, qualified teams, and nations that have already been eliminated.

How does qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage work?

The expanded World Cup format features 12 groups of four teams. The top two teams from each group automatically qualify for the Round of 32, while the eight best third-placed teams across all groups also progress.

The knockout stage will begin with the Round of 32, a phase introduced in World Cup history following FIFA's expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams. The winners will move on to the Round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, the third-place playoff, and the final on July 19.

What are the tiebreaker rules?

The full sequence, set out in Article 13 of the official tournament regulations, runs through seven steps if needed:

1. Points earned in matches between the tied teams
2. Goal difference in those head-to-head matches
3. Goals scored in those head-to-head matches
4. Overall goal difference across all group matches
5. Overall goals scored across all group matches
6. Disciplinary record, known as the team conduct score
7. FIFA World Ranking

Which teams have qualified for the World Cup 2026 Round of 32?

The following teams have officially qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32:

Group A

• Mexico (Group winners)
• South Africa (Runners-up)

Group B

• Switzerland (Group winners)
• Canada (Runners-up)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (Best third-placed team)

Group C

• Brazil (Group winners)
• Morocco (Runners-up)

Group D

• USA (Group winners)
• Australia (Runners-up)
• Paraguay (Best third-placed team)

Group E

• Germany (Group winners)
• Ivory Coast (Runners-up)
• Ecuador (Best third-placed team)

Group F

• Netherlands (Group winners)
• Japan (Runners-up)
• Sweden (Best third-placed team)

Group G

• Belgium (Group winners)
• Egypt (Runners-up)

Group H

• Spain (Group winners)
• Cape Verde (Runners-up)

Group I

• France (Group winners)
• Norway (Runners-up)
• Senegal (Best third-placed team)

Group J

• Argentina (Group winners)

Group K

• Colombia
• Portugal

Group L

• England
• Ghana

Which teams have been eliminated?

Group A

• Haiti
• Czechia

Group B

• Qatar

Group C

• None

Group D

• Turkiye

Group E

• Curacao

Group F

• Tunisia

Group G

• New Zealand

Group H

• Uruguay
• Saudi Arabia

Group I

• Iraq

Group J

• Jordan

Group K

• None confirmed

Group L

• Panama

How the third-place battle stands

Every group is now a live equation. With head-to-head results carrying more weight than ever before, a single goal in the final round of matches can swing qualification one way or the other.