2026 FIFA World Cup: Nine National Teams Have Already Qualified for the Playoffs
25 June 00:54
The first teams to qualify for the playoffs at the 2026 World Cup have been determined. As of June 24, nine national teams have secured a spot in the round of 32, or the round featuring the top 32 teams, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing FIFA.
The battle for the remaining 23 spots continues. The final list of playoff participants will be announced after the group stage concludes.
Who Has Already Qualified for the 2026 World Cup Playoffs
The following teams have already secured their spots in the round of 32:
- Mexico;
- the United States;
- Germany;
- Argentina;
- France;
- Norway;
- Colombia;
- Switzerland;
- Canada.
Some of these teams not only secured their spots in the next round but also clinched their final group standings ahead of schedule.
Mexico was the first to secure a spot in the knockout stage
The Mexican national team became the first to secure a spot in the Round of 32.
One of the tournament hosts successfully navigated its opening group stage matches and secured first place in Group A ahead of schedule.
For the Mexicans, hosting the World Cup is particularly significant. Mexico became the first country to host the men’s World Cup for the third time—following the tournaments in 1970 and 1986.
The U.S. has also advanced early
The second host of the 2026 World Cup—the U.S. national team—also secured a spot in the knockout stage before the group stage concluded.
The Americans topped their group and now have the opportunity to prepare for their first knockout-round match without having to wait for the results of all the final group-stage games.
Under the new World Cup format, even finishing first in a group does not guarantee an easy opponent, as the eight best third-place teams also advance to the knockout stage.
Canada joins the other host nations
All three World Cup host nations are now represented in the playoff lineup.
Canada advanced to the Round of 16 from second place in Group B. In the final round, the Canadians lost to Switzerland 1–2 but maintained a sufficient lead over their competitors.
Thanks to the victory, Switzerland took first place in the group and will also continue its quest for the World Cup.
Germany and Argentina won their groups
The national teams of Germany and Argentina secured not only their spots in the playoffs but also first place in their respective groups ahead of schedule.
Argentina continues its defense of the World Cup title. The team successfully navigated its opening matches, leaving the battle for the remaining spots to its rivals.
Germany also confidently navigated the first stage of the tournament. Both teams will face opponents in the Round of 32, determined by the tournament regulations and the final rankings of the third-place teams.
France and Norway advanced from the same group
In Group I, two teams—France and Norway—secured their spots in the playoffs ahead of schedule.
The French confirmed their status as one of the tournament’s top favorites, while Norway successfully capitalized on its high-scoring offense.
Their head-to-head match will determine the group’s ultimate winner and influence the seeding of teams in the playoff bracket.
Colombia Secured a Playoff Spot After Beating the DRC
The Colombian national team secured its spot in the next round with a narrow 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Daniel Muñoz scored the lone goal in the second half. After two matches, the Colombians have six points and are now out of reach for at least two of their group rivals.
In the final round, Colombia will face Portugal. The result of this match will determine the top positions in the group.
How Many Teams Will Advance to the 2026 World Cup Playoffs
For the first time in history, 48 national teams are participating in the World Cup finals. They have been divided into 12 groups of four teams each.
The following teams will advance to the playoffs:
- the top two teams from each group—24 teams in total;
- the eight best third-place finishers.
Thus, 32 teams will advance from the group stage, while 16 teams will be eliminated from the tournament.
How the best third-place teams are determined
After all group matches have been completed, the teams that finish in third place will be compared based on their tournament performance.
First and foremost, the number of points earned will be considered. Additional criteria set forth in FIFA regulations will then be applied.
Eight of the 12 teams that finish the group stage in third place will advance to the Round of 32.
As a result, even teams that fail to finish in the top two of their group will remain in contention for the knockout stage until the final matchday.
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When Do the World Cup Playoffs Begin?
The first matches of the Round of 32 will take place on June 28, 2026. During the Round of 32, the teams will play 16 single-elimination matches.
All stages of the playoffs will be single-elimination. If the match ends in a tie after regulation time, the teams will play two extra periods, and if necessary, a penalty shootout will determine the winner.
The winners of the Round of 32 will advance to the Round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place match, and final.
When Will the 2026 World Cup Final Take Place?
The World Cup final is scheduled for July 19, 2026.
The final will be hosted by a stadium in the New York and New Jersey area—in East Rutherford. It is there that the first world champion under the new 48-team tournament format will be crowned.
In total, 104 matches will be played at the 2026 World Cup—more than at any previous World Cup.
Where Will the 2026 World Cup Be Held?
For the first time, three countries are co-hosting the World Cup:
- the United States;
- Mexico;
- Canada.
Matches will be held in 16 cities. The United States will host the majority of the matches, while Mexico and Canada will also host group stage and knockout round matches.
The 2026 World Cup is the largest in history in terms of both the number of participating teams and the total number of matches.
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