FIFA World Cup 2026: Five Places Still Up for Grabs as 27 Teams Reach Round of 32
The race for the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup intensified on Saturday as Ghana, Cape Verde, Egypt, England, Belgium and Portugal became the latest nations to secure qualification for the Round of 32.
Their progression brings the number of qualified teams to 27 leaving just 5 places still available ahead of the conclusion of the group stage.
Ghana Qualify Before Final Group Match
Ghana booked their place in the Round of 32 before kicking off their final Group L match after results elsewhere guaranteed that four points would be enough to progress under FIFA’s expanded 48-team tournament.
The Black Stars opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama before playing out a goalless draw against England.
The result marks Ghana’s first appearance in the World Cup knockout stage since their memorable run at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
England also secured qualification, with both teams set to contest top spot in Group L in their final group fixture.
Portugal Advance to Knockout Stage
Portugal also confirmed qualification from Group K after an impressive start to their campaign.
The Portuguese sealed their place with a dominant 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan after opening the tournament with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo.
They will now face Colombia in their final group match, with first place in the group still at stake.
Cape Verde Make World Cup History
Cape Verde continued their fairytale debut by becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the FIFA World Cup knockout stage.
The Blue Sharks secured second place in Group H after Spain’s victory over Uruguay confirmed their progression.
With a population of about 525,000, Cape Verde finished behind Spain following impressive performances against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
Their reward is a blockbuster Round of 32 clash against defending champions Argentina.
Egypt Progress as Belgium Win Group G
Egypt booked their place in the Round of 32 after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Iran in Seattle.
Mahmoud Saber gave the Pharaohs the lead before Ramin Rezaeian equalised for Iran.
Iran thought they had snatched a dramatic winner late on, but a VAR review ruled out the goal for offside before they struck the crossbar deep into stoppage time.
The result saw Egypt finish second in Group G behind Belgium, who secured top spot with an emphatic 5-1 victory over New Zealand.
Leandro Trossard scored twice, while Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers also found the net as Belgium comfortably finished as group winners.
Senegal, Algeria Keep Qualification Hopes Alive
Senegal boosted their chances of reaching the Round of 32 with an emphatic 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq.
Habib Diarra, Ismaila Sarr, Pape Gueye, who scored twice, and Iliman Ndiaye were all on target as the Lions of Teranga moved into contention for one of the tournament’s best third-placed qualification spots.
However, they must still await results from the remaining groups to confirm their place.
Algeria also remain well placed to qualify.
A victory over Austria in their final Group J match will guarantee progression as runners-up, while a draw would almost certainly see them advance as one of the best third-placed teams.
Defeat, however, would leave their fate dependent on results elsewhere.
Teams Qualified for the FIFA World Cup Round of 32
Group A: Mexico, South Africa
Group B: Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group C: Brazil, Morocco
Group D: United States, Australia, Paraguay
Group E: Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden
Group G: Belgium, Egypt
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Norway,
Group J: Argentina
Group K: Colombia, Portugal
Group L: England, Ghana
With 27 teams already through, only 5 Round of 32 places remain available as the final round of group-stage fixtures promises more drama in the battle for qualification.
