The introduction of a route to the World Cup 2026 knockout stage for third-placed teams has made for a plethora of permutations among the nations hoping to join the top two in each group in advancing.
Sweden, Ecuador, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Paraguay were among the first countries to seal their spots as best third-placed World Cup finishers.
Of the 12 teams to finish third, another four will join that quartet – but some will not have their fate confirmed or know their next opponents until the Group J finale completes the group stage.
Here’s the latest third-place points table and the full list of confirmed fixtures in the last 32 at the World Cup, as well as a look at the subsequent schedule.
World Cup 2026: Full third place points table
Here’s how the table looked before the final six matches of the group stage, starting on June 27 in the UK with Croatia vs Ghana and England vs Panama (both 22:00 BST).
Colombia faced Portugal and DR Congo met Uzbekistan at 00:30 on Sunday, followed by Algeria vs Austria and Jordan vs Argentina at 03:00.
Teams in the top eight advance, with the bottom four countries eliminated. Goal difference, goals scored, fair-play status – how many bookings and red cards teams have received – and FIFA rankings are used to separate teams level on points.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
| 1 | Sweden | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 4 |
| 4 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| 5 | Senegal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | Iran | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 8 | South Korea | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 9 | Algeria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 10 | Scotland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| 11 | Uruguay | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
| 12 | DR Congo | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
World Cup 2026 standings
Here’s how the group stage tables looked before the final four matches of the initial stage.
2026 World Cup Group A
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 9 |
| South Africa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| South Korea | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| Czechia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 1 |
2026 World Cup Group B
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 7 |
| Canada | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 4 |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 4 |
| Qatar | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 1 |
2026 World Cup Group C
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 7 |
| Morocco | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 7 |
| Scotland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| Haiti | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 0 |
2026 World Cup Group D
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 |
| Australia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| Turkiye | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 0 |
2026 World Cup Group E
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 6 |
| Ivory Coast | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
| Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Curacao | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 1 |
2026 World Cup Group F
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 7 |
| Japan | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 5 |
| Sweden | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Tunisia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | -10 | 0 |
2026 World Cup Group G
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 5 |
| Egypt | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 5 |
| Iran | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 1 |
2026 World Cup Group H
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 7 |
| Cape Verde | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Uruguay | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 2 |
2026 World Cup Group I
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 9 |
| Norway | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 6 |
| Senegal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 3 |
| Iraq | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | -11 | 0 |
2026 World Cup Group J
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 6 |
| Austria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Algeria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 0 |
| Jordan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
2026 World Cup Group K
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 |
| Portugal | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 4 |
| DR Congo | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| Uzbekistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -7 | 0 |
2026 World Cup Group L
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 |
| Ghana | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 |
| Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| Panama | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
Qualified and eliminated World Cup teams
Czechia, Qatar, Haiti, Turkiye, Curacao, Tunisia, New Zealand, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan and Panama had been eliminated before the closing six games of the group stage.
Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Morocco, the USA, Australia, Paraguay, Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Belgium, Egypt, Spain, Cape Verde, France, Norway, Senegal, Argentina, Colombia, Portugal, England and Ghana were through.
World Cup 2026 confirmed round of 32 fixtures
The last-32 fixtures looked like this before the final four games of the group stage.
Asterisk denotes start time on previous day in specified territory.
| Date | Fixture | Time (BST) | ET | PT |
| June 28 | South Africa vs Canada | 20:00 | 15:00 | 12:00 |
| June 29 | Brazil vs Japan | 18:00 | 13:00 | 10:00 |
| June 29 | Germany vs Paraguay | 21:30 | 16:30 | 13:30 |
| June 30 | Netherlands vs Morocco | 02:00 | 21:00* | 18:00* |
| June 30 | Ivory Coast vs Norway | 18:00 | 13:00 | 10:00 |
| June 30 | France vs Sweden | 22:00 | 17:00 | 14:00 |
| July 1 | Mexico vs Group C/E/F/H/I third place | 02:00 | 21:00* | 18:00* |
| July 1 | Group L winners vs Group E/H/I/J/K third place | 17:00 | 12:00 | 09:00 |
| July 1 | Belgium vs Group A/E/H/I/J third place | 21:00 | 16:00 | 13:00 |
| July 2 | USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | 01:00 | 20:00* | 17:00* |
| July 2 | Spain vs Group J runners-up | 20:00 | 15:00 | 12:00 |
| July 3 | Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up | 00:00 | 19:00* | 16:00 * |
| July 3 | Switzerland vs Group E/F/G/I/J third place | 04:00 | 23:00* | 20:00* |
| July 3 | Australia vs Egypt | 19:00 | 14:00 | 11:00 |
| July 3 | Argentina vs Cape Verde | 23:00 | 18:00 | 15:00 |
| July 4 | Group K winners vs Group D/E/I/J/L third place | 02:30 | 21:30* | 18:30* |
World Cup 2026 full knockout stage schedule
Take a look at the knockout stage schedule before those six games left to play in the group stage.
June 28
Round of 32
Match 73: South Africa vs Canada (20:00)
June 29
Round of 32
Match 76: Brazil vs Japan (18:00)
Match 74: Germany vs Paraguay (21:30)
June 30
Round of 32
Match 75: Netherlands vs Morocco (02:00)
Match 78: Ivory Coast vs Norway (18:00)
Match 77: France vs Sweden (22:00)
July 1
Round of 32
Match 79: Mexico vs Group C/E/F/H/I third place (02:00)
Match 80: Group L winners vs Group E/H/I/J/K third place (17:00)
Match 82: Belgium vs Group A/E/H/I/J third place (21:00)
July 2
Round of 32
Match 81: USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (01:00)
Match 84: Spain vs Group J runners-up (20:00)
July 3
Round of 32
Match 83: Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up (00:00)
Match 85: Switzerland vs Group E/F/G/I/J third place (04:00)
Match 88: Australia vs Egypt (19:00)
Match 86: Argentina vs Cape Verde (23:00)
July 4
Round of 32
Match 87: Group K winners vs Group D/E/I/J/L third place (02:30)
Round of 16
Match 90: Match 73 winners vs Match 75 winners (18:00)
Match 89: Match 74 winners vs Match 77 winners (22:00)
July 5
Round of 16
Match 91: Match 76 winners vs Match 78 winners (21:00)
July 6
Round of 16
Match 92: Match 79 winners vs Match 80 winners (01:00)
Match 93: Match 83 winners vs Match 84 winners (20:00)
July 7
Round of 16
Match 94: Match 81 winners vs Match 82 winners (01:00)
Match 95: Match 86 winners vs Match 88 winners (17:00)
Match 96: Match 85 winners vs Match 87 winners (21:00)
July 9
Quarter-finals
Match 97: Match 89 winners vs Match 90 winners (21:00)
July 10
Quarter-finals
Match 98: Match 93 winners vs Match 94 winners (20:00)
July 11
Quarter-finals
Match 99: Match 91 winners vs Match 92 winners (22:00)
Match 100: Match 95 winners vs Match 96 winners (02:00)
July 14
Semi-finals
Match 101: Match 97 winners vs Match 98 winners (20:00)
July 15
Semi-finals
Match 102: Match 99 winners vs Match 100 winners (20:00)
July 18
Third-place playoff
Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers (22:00)
July 19
Final
Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners (20:00)