19 Teams Confirm Places in 2026 World Cup Round of 32
The race for the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup gathered momentum on Thursday as Ecuador, the Netherlands, Japan and Ivory Coast secured qualification for the Round of 32. Ecuador produced one of the tournament's biggest surprises by defeating Germany 2-1 to advance as one of the competition's best third-placed teams. Despite the defeat, Germany had already sealed qualification after topping Group E on goal difference. In Group F, the Netherlands finished top after defeating Tunisia 3-1, while Japan secured second place with a 1-1 draw against Sweden. Sweden also progressed to the knockout stage as one of the qualified teams. With several groups already completed, 19 countries have now booked their places in the expanded 32-team knockout phase.
Teams qualified for the Round of 32:
- Mexico
- South Africa
- Switzerland
- Canada
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Morocco
- United States
- Germany
- Ivory Coast
- Ecuador
- Netherlands
- Japan
- Sweden
- France
- Norway
- Argentina
- Colombia
- Australia
The remaining qualification places will be decided as the final round of group-stage fixtures concludes. Under the tournament's expanded 48-team format, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-placed teams, progress to the Round of 32.
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