As the 2026 FIFA World Cup crosses its group stage threshold and prepares to enter the high-stakes knockout round, the tournament has already etched its name into the history books: it has broken the record for total spectator attendance, marking a historic milestone for world football’s biggest competition.
This edition of the World Cup has delivered no shortage of drama, from underdog breakthroughs to unexpected early exits that have kept fans across the globe on the edge of their seats. Cinderella runs from the likes of South Africa and Ivory Coast, who have both booked their spots in the round of 32, have emerged as some of the tournament’s biggest storylines, joining debutant side Ecuador and a returning South African squad that ended a long World Cup knockout stage drought to keep their campaigns alive. Alongside the celebrations, however, have come heartbreak for early eliminated teams including Haiti, Turkey and Tunisia, whose World Cup journeys ended before the knockout phase even begins.
The first nation to secure its knockout round berth was co-host Mexico, which claimed top spot in Group A after a 1-0 victory over South Korea on June 18, following its chaotic 2-0 opening match win against South Africa. The United States, co-host of the 2026 tournament, followed closely behind, clinching first place in Group D on June 19 with a 2-0 win over Australia after opening its campaign with a dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
Germany, looking to rebound from disappointing early exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, became the third team to qualify, securing its round of 32 spot with a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on June 20, having kicked off its run with a resounding 7-1 rout of Curaçao. Defending World Cup champions Argentina were next to book their place, winning Group J with a 2-0 victory over Austria on June 22 that saw Lionel Messi make history: the forward scored both goals to become the all-time leading top scorer in men’s World Cup history, pushing his total tournament goals to 18. This achievement came on the heels of a first-match hat-trick against Algeria, cementing Messi’s status as one of the tournament’s early standout players.
Tournament favorites France did not disappoint, securing their knockout spot with a 3-0 win over Iraq, with Kylian Mbappé notching a brace to lead Les Bleus following their 3-1 opening win over Senegal. In one of the group stage’s biggest upsets, Norway claimed the second qualification spot in Group I with a 3-2 win over Senegal, qualifying for the knockout round for the first time in 28 years after opening with a 4-1 thrashing of Iraq. Colombia followed suit a day later, punching its ticket with a 1-0 win over DR Congo on June 23 after opening with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan.
In Group B, Switzerland remained undefeated through the group stage, finishing top of the table on seven points after confirming their qualification with a 2-1 win over co-host Canada on June 24. Despite dropping their final group match to the Swiss, Canada still held on to claim second place in the group with four points, having opened with a draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina before a dominant 6-0 rout of Qatar. Bosnia and Herzegovina still claimed a spot among the best third-placed teams, however, after a 3-1 win over Qatar that saw them finish third in the group behind Switzerland and Canada.
Five-time World Cup champions Brazil turned in a polished performance to secure their place, sealing top spot in Group C with a 3-0 win over Scotland on June 24, finishing the group stage with seven points and a +6 goal differential. Morocco joined Brazil in qualifying from Group C, taking second place on seven points after recording one draw and two wins. In Group A’s final match, South Africa pulled off a stunning 1-0 upset over South Korea to book their first ever knockout round berth.
The final days of group play delivered even more upsets: in Group E, debutant Ecuador pulled off a sensational 2-1 upset victory over Germany to claim a spot as one of the best third-placed teams, while Ivory Coast secured its first ever knockout round spot with a 2-0 win over Curaçao. In Group F, the Netherlands finished top of the table on seven points after a 3-1 win over Tunisia, with Japan taking second place on five points following a 1-1 draw with Sweden, who also advanced as one of the best third-placed teams with four points. Rounding out the early qualifiers from the group stage, Australia claimed the second spot in Group D after a goalless draw with Paraguay.
While dozens of teams live to fight another day in the knockout round, a number of nations have already been sent home from the 2026 tournament. Haiti was the first team eliminated, dropping all three of its group matches including a 3-0 loss to Brazil and a defeat to Scotland. Turkey followed, eliminated after dropping matches to both Paraguay and Australia. Tunisia was knocked out after a lopsided 4-0 loss to Japan, while first-time qualifier Jordan was eliminated after back-to-back losses to Algeria and Austria. Panama also suffered elimination after two straight losses, while co-host Qatar finished bottom of Group B after falling to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Czechia was eliminated from Group A after a defeat to Mexico, while Curaçao – the smallest nation competing at this year’s World Cup – saw its campaign end with a loss to Ivory Coast.