The FIFA World Cup 2026 has gripped the fans all around the world with some jaw-dropping matches hogging the limelight. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland’s performances and Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent outing have become the talk of the town. And so have the underdog stories from the likes of Cabo Verde and the Congo DR.ย
Teams are giving it their all for the knockouts, which have begun to take shape now that all the teams have played two matches each. Several bigwigs have already qualified, while many still await their qualification. The World Cup has 48 teams featuring for the first time, and 32 teams will be playing in the expanded knockouts. Here is a list of teams that have qualified for the knockouts.
7 Teams have qualified for the next stage
Seven teams have made it to the next stage after Colombia’s recent entry to the round of 32. Colombia made their way to the knockouts after their 1-0 win over Congo DR in their second Group K outing. They had earlier defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 in their opener.
Mexico (Group A): Mexico were the first team to qualify for the round of 32 and had also won Group A after their win over South Korea. They had earlier defeated South Africa 2-0 in their opener, which was also the first match of this World Cup.
USA (Group D): The second co-hosts USA have also booked their spot in the next stage. The US side was the second to confirm their knockout ticket after their 2-0 win over Australia. They had earlier thumped Paraguay 4-1 in their opener.
Germany (Group E): Germany were the third ones to enter the round of 32 after they defeated the Ivory Coast 2-1 in their second outing. They had earlier thrashed Curacao 7-1 in their opener.
Argentina (Group J): Defending Champions Argentina have also sealed their place in the next stage and have assured that they will top Group J. They opened their title defence with a 3-0 win over Algeria, before beating Austria 2-0.
France (Group I): France have also cruised to the round of 32. They defeated Senegal 3-1 to kick their tournament off and then beat Iraq 3-0 to enter the last 32.
Norway (Group I): Like France, Norway have also confirmed their next stage appearance. They made it to the World Cup after 28 years and have started the tournament with back-to-back wins over Iraq (4-1) and Senegal (3-2).
ALSO READ |ย First time in 60 years! England achieve major unwanted record after goalless draw with Ghana