After Thursday’s Group F matches, 19 teams have officially qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32:
- Mexico: As co-hosts, El Tri dominated Group A, locking in the top spot early with commanding performances in front of their energetic home crowds.
- South Africa: The Bafana Bafana bounced back from an opening match defeat against Mexico to secure a crucial win over South Korea and qualify as group runners-up.
- Switzerland: The Swiss showcased their signature tactical discipline and defensive rigidity to advance clean out of Group B.
- Canada: Co-hosts Canada booked their ticket into the next phase as runners-up, highlighted by a dominant 6-0 goal fest against Qatar.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Displaying immense grit, the European side claimed their spot as one of the highly competitive third-place qualifiers.
- Brazil: Guided by veteran elite talent, the five-time world champions cruised safely into their 15th consecutive World Cup knockout appearance.
- Morocco: : The Atlas Lions continued their formidable tournament reputation by remaining completely undefeated through the group phase.
- United States: Playing as co-hosts on home turf, the USMNT safely bypassed the absence of injured star Christian Pulisic to claim Group D dominance.
- Germany: The European powerhouse rediscovered their clinical tournament form, dispatching rivals easily to lock down the top seed in Group E.
- Ivory Coast: Les Éléphants clinched a vital second-place finish by overcoming Curaçao in their high-stakes group finale.
- Ecuador: Armed with a tough, physical squad, La Tri successfully advanced out of a very tightly contested three-way group battle.
- Netherlands: Winning all three of their group stage matches to comfortably top the table.
- Japan: Finish second and set up a heavyweight clash against Brazil.
- Sweden: Moving forward out of Group F, the Swedes utilized structural counter-attacking play to book their knockout berth.
- France: Powered by a red-hot Kylian Mbappé, the former world champions steamrolled through their initial games with clinical ease.
- Norway: Superstar striker Erling Haaland hit the ground running, netting crucial goals to confidently lift Norway into the Round of 32.
- Argentina: The reigning title holders effortlessly storm into the knockouts, celebrated by Lionel Messi officially breaking the World Cup all-time scoring record.
- Colombia: The South American side displayed sparkling attacking flair, defeating DR Congo to confidently qualify with a group match to spare
- Australia: : Punched their ticket into the last 32 by grinding out a vital scoreless draw against Paraguay
Match Highlights
Cape Verde vs Spain 0-0
Spain’s 0–0 draw against Cabo Verde was a historic shocker because the tiny tournament debutants, ranked 67th in the world, completely neutralized the world’s 2nd-ranked team. Spain dominated with 74% possession and fired 27 shots, but they were completely stone-walled by Cabo Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha, who made seven spectacular saves.
The underdogs executed a flawless defensive masterclass, committing only a single foul the entire match, and even nearly won it on a stoppage-time counter-attack to secure one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history
Argentina vs Algeria 3-0
Lionel Messi scored his historic hat-trick on June 16, 2026, during Argentina’s dominant 3-0 opening match victory against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium. At 38 years old, Messi became the oldest player in history to score a World Cup hat-trick, netting in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes.
The vintage masterclass sent shockwaves through the tournament as it marked his first-ever World Cup hat-trick and instantly tied him with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the all-time tournament scoring record of 16 goals.
Germany vs Curacao 7-1
Germany’s historic 7-1 blowout victory over Curaçao in their Group E opener at Houston Stadium is fully available to rewatch through official broadcast highlights.
Despite the heavily lopsided final score, the match is fondly remembered for Curaçao’s legendary moment in the 21st minute when Livano Comenencia scored a shocking equalizer to briefly tie the game at 1-1, marking the smallest country in the tournament’s first-ever World Cup goal.
Ecuador vs Germany 2-1
In what is widely being called the biggest pure upset of the group stage, Ecuador pulled off a brilliant 2-1 victory over Germany.
Though Germany had already rotated some players after qualifying early, Ecuador’s completely fearless attacking display and rigid defensive discipline sent shockwaves through the tournament.
19 through, 13 to go
With 19 teams already through, attention now shifts to the remaining group-stage matches as the final Round of 32 spots are still up for grabs.
Several heavyweight nations are still battling to secure qualification, while others will be fighting to finish top of their groups for a potentially more favourable knockout draw.
Once the group stage concludes, the knockout phase will begin, where every match becomes a do-or-die encounter as teams compete for a place in the Round of 16 and continue their quest for the 2026 FIFA World Cup title.
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