Round of 32 Confirmed: South Korea Eliminated; Portugal vs Croatia Headlines the Last 32

The group stage of the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States is complete, and the Round of 32 is set. In the first 48-team edition, 32 teams reach the knockouts: the top two from each of the 12 groups (24 teams) plus the eight best third-placed sides. South Korea, however, are not among them. After finishing 1W-2L (3 points) in Group A, they placed 10th among the third-placed teams and missed the last of the eight wildcard berths. The Round of 32 runs from June 28, opening with South Africa vs Canada, through July 3.

South Korea's exit came down to the cruelest of margins — goal difference. They began brightly, beating the Czech Republic 2-1, but then lost 0-1 to both host nation Mexico and South Africa. The second-game defeat to South Africa proved decisive: it sent South Africa through in second place and left Korea, on 3 points and a -1 goal difference, clinging to the third-placed race. The eighth and final ticket went to Senegal, level on 3 points — the +2 goal difference Senegal built by thrashing Iraq 5-0 in their finale edged out Korea's -1. Korea finished 10th of the 12 third-placed teams.

The standout tie of the Round of 32 is Portugal against Croatia on July 2. A traditional European power in Portugal meets a Croatia side that has reached at least the semifinals at each of the last two World Cups — runners-up in 2018, third in 2022 — in a heavyweight clash that has arrived far too early. Both slipped to second in their groups, hardening the draw. The same round features defending champions Argentina (a perfect Group J) against debutants Cape Verde, who stormed straight into the knockouts on their first-ever appearance (July 3), while Brazil meet Asia's standard-bearers Japan on June 29. Morocco, the 2022 semifinalists, face the Netherlands the same day.

All three host nations advanced. Mexico swept Group A with three wins (9 points) to top the group, and the USA (winners of Group D) and Canada (runners-up in Group B) joined them in the last 32. The favorites also cruised: France (Group I) and Argentina (Group J) each won their groups with a perfect nine points, while Spain, Brazil, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia and Switzerland all topped their groups to reach the knockouts.

There were plenty of shocks and casualties, too. South American heavyweights Uruguay went out in the group stage, third in Group H on 2 points, with their place taken by Cape Verde on the islanders' first-ever World Cup. Asia was decimated: South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and Uzbekistan all fell, leaving only Japan (second in Group F) and Australia (second in Group D) to carry the continent's hopes. By contrast, Norway — back at a World Cup for the first time in 28 years (second in Group I) — and DR Congo, who survived as one of the best third-placed teams, emerged as the tournament's surprise packages.

You can find the full Round-of-32 bracket and local kickoff times, plus the path beyond the Round of 16, on our bracket page (/bracket); the final standings for all 12 groups and the outcome of the third-placed race are on the standings (/groups) and best-third (/third-place) pages.