
World Cup 2026: Belgium and Egypt advance, nine round-of-32 ties confirmed
The 2026 World Cup group stage is nearly complete, with 28 teams securing their places in the round of 32 and nine knockout ties already locked in after Friday's games.
Group stage nears conclusion
After the completion of groups 7, 8 and 9 on the night of 26 June, 28 of the 32 spots for the knockout phase are filled. Belgium topped Group 7 with Egypt joining them in second, while Spain won Group 8 and Cape Verde caused one of the tournament’s surprises by advancing at Uruguay’s expense. In Group 9, France claimed first place, Norway second, and Senegal grabbed a decisive 5-0 win over Iraq to lock in a best-third-place berth. Among the 28 assured sides are the three host nations (the United States, Canada and Mexico), defending champions Brazil, European heavyweights Germany, Spain, France and the Netherlands, and surprise package Cape Verde, who edged out Uruguay in Group 8. Turkey’s early exit was another group-stage shock.
Known last-32 ties
Nine round-of-32 fixtures have been confirmed so far (all times local to the host cities). South Africa face Canada in Los Angeles on 28 June, Brazil play Japan in Houston on 29 June, and Germany meet Paraguay in Boston later that night. The Netherlands take on Morocco in Monterrey in the early hours of 30 June, while Ivory Coast meet Norway in Dallas later that day. France and Sweden square off in New Jersey on 1 July, the United States play Bosnia and Herzegovina in San Francisco early on 2 July, Australia meet Egypt in Dallas on 3 July, and Argentina face Cape Verde in Miami on 4 July. The remaining seven pairings will be set once the best-third-place field is finalised and the final group standings in J, K and L are determined.
The best-third-place puzzle
With five of the eight best-third-place slots already decided (Sweden, Ecuador, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Paraguay and Senegal), attention turns to the remaining three berths. Iran, Croatia and South Korea all sit on three points, but goal difference and fair-play tiebreakers could prove decisive as the last groups complete their matches. The criteria, in order, are goal difference, total goals, fair play points and the pre-tournament FIFA ranking. Senegal’s 5-0 rout lifted their goal difference enough to secure qualification despite only three points in group play.
Path to the final
- Round of 32 begins (South Africa vs Canada, Los Angeles)
- Quarterfinals begin
- Semifinals start
- Third-place match and final (Los Angeles)


