World Cup standings 2026: Updated knockout bracket, clinching scenarios through June 26

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World Cup standings 2026: Updated knockout bracket, clinching scenarios through June 26 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Each day that passes by on the calendar means a sunrise and sunset closer to the beginning of the 2026 World Cup knockout stages. While some teams have already punched their ticket for the Round of 32, the vast majority of the tournament's field is still battling on the pitch for a bona fide spot.

Only a handful of teams have qualified thus far, but that number is set to grow in the near future. For Thursday's slate of matches, the Ivory Coast, Curacao, Ecuador, Sweden, Japan, the Netherlands, Australia, and Paraguay are all fighting for final positioning.

Germany and the U.S. have already won their groups, while Tunisia and Turkey have been eliminated from the teams playing on Thursday.

Here's the latest look at which teams are on their way to the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.

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World Cup standings 2026

World Cup Group A table

PosTeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1.Mexico - Q9330060+62.South Africa - Q4311123-13.South Korea3312023-14.Czechia - E1302126-4
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group B table

Pos.TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1.Switzerland -Q7320173+42.Canada - Q4311183+53.Bosnia and Herzegovina 4311156-14.Qatar - E13021210-8
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group C table

PosTeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1.Brazil - Q 7320171+62.Morocco - Q7320163+33.Scotland3312014-34.Haiti  - E0303028-6
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group D table

PosTeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1.United States - Q 6321084+42.Australia - Q431112203.Paraguay4311112-14.Turkey - E3312047-3
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group E table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1. Germany - Q63210104+62. Ivory Coast - Q6321042+23. Ecuador - Q431112204. Curacao - E1302119-8
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group F table 

PosTeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1.Netherlands - Q73201104+62.Japan - Q4310273+43.Sweden - Q431117704.Tunisia - E03030212-10
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group G table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1. Egypt421014222. Iran220022203. Belgium220021104. New Zealand1201135-2
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group H table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1.Spain - Q7320161+52. Cape Verde - Q330032203. Uruguay - E2301234-14. Saudi Arabia - E2301204-4
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group I table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1. France - Q93300102+82. Norway - Q6321087+13. Senegal3312086+24. Iraq - E03020112-11
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group J table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1. Argentina - Q6220050+52. Austria321103303. Algeria3211024-24. Jordan - E0202025-3
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group K table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1. Colombia - Q6220041+32. Portugal4210161+53. DR Congo1201112-14. Uzbekistan0202018-7
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup Group L table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD1. England4210142+22. Ghana4210110+13.Croatia3211034-14.  Panama 0202002-2
  • Q = Qualified to Knockout Stage
  • = Eliminated

World Cup bracket 2026

SN

World Cup 2026 knockout stage

QualifiedGroup winnerRunner-upGroup AMexico, South AfricaMexicoSouth AfricaGroup BSwitzerland, Canada, Bosnia-HerzegovinaSwitzerlandCanadaGroup CBrazil, MoroccoBrazilMoroccoGroup DUnited States, Australia, ParaguayUnited StatesAustraliaGroup EGermany, Ivory Coast, EcuadorGermanyIvory CoastGroup FNetherlands, Japan, SwedenNetherlandsJapanGroup GTBDTBDGroup HTBDTBDGroup IFrance, NorwayFranceNorwayGroup JArgentinaArgentinaTBDGroup KColombiaTBDTBDGroup LTBDTBD

Third place qualifiers

RankThird-place team1.Sweden2.Ecuador3.Bosnia and Herzegovina4.Paraguay5.TBD6.TBD7.TBD8.TBD

MORE:Updated third place standings | Teams eliminated from World Cup

World Cup 2026 clinching scenarios

Group A

Mexico

Has qualified as group winner with a win over South Korea.

South Korea

Was eliminated from the top two in Group A with their 1-0 loss to South Africa. They can still qualify as a third-place team.

South Africa

Qualified to Round of 32 as second place in Group A with their 1-0 win over South Korea.

Czechia

Eliminated from the 2026 World Cup with their 3-0 loss to Mexico.

Group B

Switzerland 

Switzerland progressed as group winners thanks to a 3-1 win over Canada in Vancouver.

Canada

Jesse Marsch's co-hosts were forced to settle for second and will now have to hit the road, with their Round of 32 match in Los Angeles on Sunday. June 28.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia's first World Cup win since 2014 against Qatar moved them on to four points, behind Canada on goal difference. That is likely to be enough to go through as one of the best third-place finishers

Qatar

Qatar is eliminated and has taken one point from their past two World Cups, the first of those as hosts.

Group C

Brazil

Clinched Round of 32 berth with win over Scotland.

Morocco

Clinched Round of 32 berth with win over Haiti.

Scotland

Eliminated from World Cup after 3-0 loss to Brazil.

Haiti

Eliminated from World Cup after 4-2 loss to Morocco.

Group D

United States

Won Group D

Australia

Qualified as the second-place team in Group D

Paraguay

On the outside looking in at the top third-place finishers (-1 goal differential)

Turkey

Eliminated after their 1-0 loss to Paraguay.

Group E

Germany

Qualified for the knockout round and clinched Group E with a win over the Ivory Coast and Ecuador's draw against Curacao.

Ivory Coast

Qualified for the knockout round and clinched second-place of Group E with a win over Curacao.

Ecuador

Qualified for the knockout round as the third-place team with win over Germany.

Curacao 

Eliminated from the World Cup with loss to the Ivory Coast.

Group F

Sweden

Qualified as third place team

Tunisia

Eliminated from World Cup

Netherlands

Qualified as first-place team

Japan

Qualified as second-place team

Group G

Egypt

Can clinch first place in Group G with a win over Iran in the final group stage match. Egypt can fall no further than third in the group standings, but is not yet guaranteed a place in the knockouts due to tiebreakers.

Iran

Can clinch first place in Group G with a win over Egypt and a Belgium loss or draw in the final group stage match. 

Belgium

Can clinch second place in Group G with a win over New Zealand and Iran's defeat to Egypt.

New Zealand

Can rise as high as second place in Group G with a win over Belgium and Iran's defeat to Egypt.

Group H

Spain

Has clinched first place in Group H with a win over Uruguay in the final group stage match.

Cape Verde

Clinched second place in Group H with a draw over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay's defeat to Spain.

Uruguay

Eliminated from the World Cup after a loss to Spain and a Cape Verde draw with Saudia Arabia.

Saudi Arabia

Eliminated from the World Cup with a draw with Cape Verde

Group I

France

France clinched Group I with a 4-1 win over Norway.

Norway

Norway finished second in Group I with a 4-1 loss to France and will face Ivory Coast in the Round of 32.

Iraq

Iraq was officially eliminated with a 5-0 loss to Senegal.

Senegal

Senegal defeated Ira1 5-0 and has a chance to qualify as a third-place team with three points and a +2 goal differential.

Group J

Argentina

Won Group J and qualified for the knockout rounds after beating Austria 2-0, and Jordan's loss to Algeria.

Austria

Will qualify for the Round of 32 with a win or a draw against Jordan in the final group match.

Algeria

Will qualify for the Round of 32 with a win against Austria in the final group match. If Algeria loses, it will come down to third-place tiebreakers.

Jordan

Eliminated with their 2-1 loss to Algeria.

Group K

Portugal

Will qualify as group winners if they defeat Colombia on matchday three.

Colombia

Has qualified to Round of 32. If Colombia draws/wins against Portugal in the final group-stage game, they win the group. 

DR Congo

Can qualify for the Round of 32 as a third-place team, or finish second in Group K if they outscore Portugal by 6+ goals in the final match against Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan

Must beat DR Congo to have a chance of qualifying as a third-place team.

Group L

England

Will qualify with a win over Panama in the final group match.

Ghana

Will qualify with a win over Croatia in the final group match.

Croatia

Will qualify with a win over Ghana in the final group match.

Panama

Were eliminated with their loss to Croatia.

World Cup 2026 schedule for knockout stage

Round of 32

DateMatch No.MatchupSun., June 2873South Africa v CanadaMon., June 2974Germany v Group A/B/C/D/F third place75Netherlands v Morocco76Brazil v JapanTues., June 3077France v Group F/G third place78Ivory Coast vs. Norway79Mexico v Group C/E/F/H/I third placeWed., July 180Group L winners v Group E/H/I/J/K third place81USA v Bosnia-Herzegovina82Group G winners v Group A/E/H/I/J third placeThurs., July 283Group K runners-up v Group L runners-up84Spain winners v Group J runners-up85Switzerland v Group E/F/G/I/J third placeFri., July 386Argentina v Cape Verde87Group K winners v Group D/E/I/J/L third place88Australia v Group G runners-up

Round of 16

DateMatch No.MatchupSat., July 489Winner match 74 v Winner match 77 90Winner match 73 v Winner match 75Sun., July 591Winner match 76 v Winner match 7892Winner match 79 v Winner match 80Mon., July 693Winner match 83 v Winner match 8494Winner match 81 v Winner match 82Tue., July 795Winner match 86 v Winner match 8896Winner match 85 v Winner match 87

Quarterfinals

DateMatch No.MatchupThurs., July 997Winner match 89 v Winner match 90Fri. July 1098Winner match 93 v Winner match 94Sat., July 1199Winner match 91 v Winner match 92100Winner match 95 v Winner match 96

Semifinals

DateMatch No.MatchupTue., July 12101Winner match 97 v Winner match 98Wed. July 13102Winner match 99 v Winner match 100

Third-place

DateMatch No.MatchupSat., July 18103Runner-up match 101 v Runner-up match 102

Final

DateMatch No.MatchupSun., July 19104Winner match 101 v Winner match 102

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