After two matchdays, Haiti in Group C, Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ in Group D, Tunisia in Group F, Jordan in Group J, and Panama in Group L have all been eliminated. The common point of the five teams is losing both of their first two matches, leaving them with no chance of competing for one of the top three positions in their groups.
Forward Cecilio Waterman waves to Panama fans after the 0-1 loss to Croatia in Group L of the 2026 World Cup at Toronto stadium, June 23. Photo: AP
Under the regulations from the 2022 edition and earlier, these teams would still have a chance to advance. They could rise to third place if they improved their points and goals in the final matchday. However, with the new criteria, these teams are guaranteed to finish bottom of their groups, as they lose to the teams above them on head-to-head records.
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Among these, Turkey caused great disappointment as they were expected to create surprises at the tournament, with a golden generation of players like Arda Guler, Ferdi Kadioglu, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Kenan Yildiz. They lost both matches against Australia and Paraguay, failing to score despite taking a total of 62 shots.
Panama is the latest team to say goodbye to the World Cup after a 0-1 loss to Croatia. Croatia is currently third in Group L with three points. Therefore, even if they beat England in the final matchday, Panama will still rank behind Croatia.
Among the 5 eliminated teams, there is only one debutant, Jordan, which is also the only Asian team to exit. The other three debutants, including Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Curacao, still have hopes of advancing. Among them, Cape Verde's chances of reaching the round of 32 are the highest as they drew both of their opening matches.
Forward Nadhir Benbouali (12) heads home the equalizer for Algeria from a corner kick in the 2-1 win against Jordan in Group J of the 2026 World Cup, taking place in Santa Clara, California (USA) on June 22. Photo: AP
On the other hand, 7 teams have secured their places in the round of 32 despite having one group stage match remaining. They are Mexico, Mỹ, Đức, Pháp, Na Uy, Argentina and Colombia. Among them, Mexico, USA, Germany, and Argentina are guaranteed to top their groups, while also knowing their positions in the knockout bracket. Argentina will face the runner-up of Group H in the round of 32, which is currently Uruguay.
Mexico was the first team to secure a ticket from Group A. The 2026 World Cup co-hosts won both of their first two matches against South Africa and South Korea, early achieving their goal of advancing past the group stage.
In Group D, the USA also took advantage of home turf to secure a ticket with one match to spare, after two wins against Paraguay and Australia.
Germany is the next representative to enter the knockout stage. The four-time world champions maintained stable form in Group E with two wins over Curacao and Ivory Coast.
Midfielder Luis Diaz (left) challenges center-back Abdukodir Khusanov in Colombia's 3-1 win over Uzbekistan in the opening match of Group K of the 2026 World Cup, at Estadio Azteca, Mexico on June 17, 2026. Photo: AP
Group I is the only group that has determined both teams advancing past the group stage. France and Norway both reached 6 points to secure their places in the round of 32. These two teams will face each other in the final matchday to compete for the top spot. The runner-up of Group I will face the runner-up of Group E in the round of 32, which is currently Ivory Coast. Meanwhile, the winner of Group I will face a third-placed opponent from another group.
Defending champions Argentina also secured their ticket to the knockout stage from Group J, thanks to the stellar form of captain Lionel Messi. He has scored all five of the team's goals, and is leading the race for both the Golden Boot and the World Cup Golden Ball.
The latest ticket to advance belongs to Colombia in Group K. The South American representative took all six points from the first two matchdays, with wins over Uzbekistan and DR Congo. The match between Colombia and Portugal in the final matchday promises to be exciting, as both teams compete for the top spot.
The runner-up of Group K will face the runner-up of Group L, currently Ghana, in the round of 32. However, England and Croatia could also finish second in Group L, so Portugal will have to try to top Group K to have an easier path in the next round.
Key events of Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan
If the teams' positions do not change after the final matchday, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi will be in different halves of the knockout bracket, meaning they could potentially meet in the final on July 19.
Among the potential round of 32 matches, Brazil - Japan is highly anticipated by many fans. A clash between two former champions like Argentina and Uruguay also promises to be noteworthy. However, the teams' positions will almost certainly change when the final group stage matchday begins today.