2026 FIFA World Cup: Eliminated Teams Rise To 12 Before Final Group Fixtures

2026 FIFA World Cup: Eliminated Teams Rise To 12 Before Final Group Fixtures

By Admin 

The list of teams eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has grown to 12 after Iraq, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand were knocked out following Friday's round of group-stage matches, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

With the final set of group fixtures scheduled for Saturday, the four nations joined Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia, Jordan, Panama, Qatar, the Czech Republic and Curaçao among the teams whose campaigns have come to an end.

Iraq's hopes of progressing were dashed after a crushing 5-0 defeat to Senegal. Reduced to 10 men, the Asian side had no answer to Senegal's dominant display, a result that kept the African nation in contention for a Round of 32 place as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams.

Two-time world champions Uruguay also exited the competition after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Spain. The loss ended Uruguay's hopes of advancing, while Spain strengthened their position in the group.

Saudi Arabia's goalless draw against Cape Verde proved insufficient to keep them in the tournament. Although the result earned the Saudis a point, it was not enough to secure progression as Cape Verde continued their impressive campaign.

New Zealand also bowed out after suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat to Belgium, whose emphatic victory significantly boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stage.

A total of 16 teams will be eliminated at the end of the group stage, with only four places remaining among the teams set to exit the competition.

Teams eliminated so far:

- Haiti

- Turkey

- Tunisia

- Jordan

- Panama

- Qatar

- Czech Republic

- Curaçao

- Iraq

- Uruguay

- Saudi Arabia

- New Zealand

Expanded format raises the stakes

The 2026 FIFA World Cup features an expanded 48-team format, with the top two teams from each of the 12 groups automatically qualifying for the Round of 32 alongside the eight best third-placed teams.

As a result, 32 teams advance to the knockout stage, while only 16 are eliminated after the group phase. Finishing third no longer guarantees elimination, as only the four lowest-ranked third-placed teams fail to progress.

Uruguay became one of the first high-profile casualties of the new system after finishing third in Group H with just two points—an insufficient tally to remain among the best third-placed sides.

New tiebreaker rule

FIFA has also introduced a significant change to its tiebreaking criteria for the 2026 tournament. Teams level on points are now separated first by their head-to-head record before goal difference, marking the first time the rule has been applied at a FIFA World Cup.

The revised regulation contributed to Turkey's early exit after defeats to Australia and Paraguay left them rooted to the bottom of their group with no path to qualification.

Teams already through

Several nations have already secured places in the Round of 32. Confirmed qualifiers include Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Morocco, the United States, Australia, Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Spain, Cape Verde, Norway, France, Argentina and Colombia.

The remaining qualification spots will be decided after the final round of group-stage matches.

The Round of 32 begins on June 28, with the tournament culminating in the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium.