Kenya Sport

Teams Eliminated from FIFA World Cup 2026: Updated List

The 2026 FIFA World Cup offers more nations the chance to advance past the group stage than ever before. The tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams, adding an extra knockout round. As a result, 32 teams will move on to the Round of 32 instead of just 16.

Still, some teams have already seen their journey end early in this competition. Below is the latest list of nations that are confirmed to be eliminated from the World Cup 2026 as of June 25.

Early Exits

Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia, and Panama were among the first squads to exit the tournament. These early departures come partly because of a new rule involving how ties in group standings are decided. Instead of overall goal difference first, FIFA now ranks tied teams by their head-to-head results.

Take Haiti for example: after losing 1-0 to Scotland and then 3-0 to Brazil, even if they earn points later, they can't overtake Brazil or Morocco in Group C. They might tie with Scotland on points but lose out because Scotland won their direct match.

Group Stage Tiebreakers

FIFA set the following criteria to rank teams tied on points at the end of group play:

  • Head-to-head results between tied teams
  • Goal difference in those head-to-head matches
  • Goals scored in those head-to-head matches
  • If still tied, overall goal difference across all group games
  • Overall goals scored in all group matches
  • Team conduct score based on yellow and red cards
  • FIFA ranking position if all else fails

Advancing Third-Place Teams

The tournament allows the top eight third-place teams to join the knockout phase. They are ranked using these factors:

  • Points earned in the group stage
  • Goal difference in the group stage
  • Goals scored in the group stage
  • Team conduct score
  • FIFA ranking

Expanded Format Details

The jump from 32 to 48 teams added four more groups to the opening phase. This also means the winning team will play eight matches instead of seven. This new setup provides more opportunities but keeps the stakes high for every match.

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