Updated World Cup group standings, scenarios: Who's in round of 32?

Editor's note:Follow our LIVE World Cup standings and bracket updates

The largest World Cup in history will soon see its first round of cuts.

In just a few days, the knockout round of the 2026 World Cup will commence across North America with the remaining 32 teams from the original 48-team field. The United States became one of the first teams to advance from the Group Stage after back-to-back wins over Paraguay and Australia in Group D.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have powered their teams into the knockout rounds, matching each other goal for goal as they chase down and reset the World Cup scoring record. Messi still leads by two, but Mbappé is closing fast.

There remain several spots in the knockout rounds up for grabs, with some potentially determined by tiebreakers, including goal differential. Round of 32 action begins Sunday, June 28 in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium with the runners-up from Group A and Group B and will last through Friday, June 3.

Here's what to know:

Updated World Cup standings

Below is an updated look (as of Tuesday, June 23 at Noon ET). Teams listed in order of points, with wins-draws-losses (goal differential in parentheses).

* Denotes clinched spot in knockout rounds

** Denotes teams that are mathematically eliminated

World Cup Group A

Standings

• 1. * Mexico 2-0-0 (+3) – 6 points
• 2. South Korea 1-0-1 (0) – 3 points
• T3. Czechia 0-1-1 (-1) – 1 point
• T3. South Africa 0-1-1 (-2) – 1 point

Scenarios

• South Korea
  • Will finish as runner-up with a win OR a draw against South Africa
  • Will finish third with a loss to South Africa AND a Czechia loss or draw to Mexico
• Czechia:
  • Will finish as runner-up with a win against Mexico AND a South Korea loss to South Africa AND holding the goal differential tiebreaker vs. South Korea (Czechia is -1 while South Africa is -2)
  • Will finish in third-place with a win against Mexico AND a South Korea loss to South Africa AND South Africa makes up the tiebreaker
  • Will finish in third-place with a win AND a South Korea win or draw
  • Will finish in third-place with a draw AND a South Africa draw or loss
• South Africa:
  • Will finish as runner-up with a win against South Korea AND a Czechia loss or draw against Mexico
  • Will finish as runner-up with a win AND a Czechia win WHILE making up the goal differential with Czechia (Czechia is -1 while South Africa is -2)
  • Will finish in third-place with a win AND a Czechia win AND Czechia not making up the goal differential
  • Will finish in third-place with a draw AND a Czechia loss to Mexico
  • Will finish in third-place with a loss AND a Czechia loss AND winning the goal differential against Czechia

World Cup Group B

Standings

• Canada 1-1-0 (+6) – 4 points
• Switzerland 1-1-0 (+3) – 4 points
• Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-1-1 (-3) – 1 point
• Qatar 0-1-1 (-6) – 1 point

Scenarios

• Canada:
  • Will win Group B with a win or a draw against Switzerland
  • Will finish second with a loss AND a Bosnia and Herzegovina loss to Qatar AND if Bosnia and Herzegovina overcomes Canada in the goal differential (Canada is +6 while Bosnia and Herzegovina is -3)
• Switzerland:
  • Will win Group B with a win or a draw against Canada
  • Will finish as runner-up with a draw
  • Will finish as runner-up with a loss AND a Qatar loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina AND if Qatar overcomes Switzerland in the goal differential (Switzerland is + 3 while Qatar is -6)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina:
  • Will finish in third-place with a win over Qatar AND a Canada loss to Switzerland WHILE making up the goal differential with Canada
  • Will finish in third place with a draw against Qatar

World Cup Group C

Standings

• Brazil 1-1-0 (+3) – 4 points
• Morocco 1-1-0 (+1) – 4 points
• Scotland 1-0-1 (0) – 3 points
• ** Haiti 0-0-2 (-4) – 0 points

Scenarios

• Brazil:
  • Will win Group C with a win over Scotland AND keeping its goal differential against Morocco (Brazil is +3 while Morocco is at +1) should Morocco beat Haiti
• Morocco:
  • Will move on with a win or draw against Haiti
  • Will win Group C with a win AND finishing ahead of Brazil in the goal differential
  • Will advance with a Brazil win
• Scotland:
  • Will win Group C with a win against Brazil AND a Morocco draw or loss to Haiti
  • Will move on with a win

World Cup Group D

Standings

• * United States 2-0-0 (+5) – 6 points
• Australia 1-0-1 (0) – 3 points
• Paraguay 1-0-1 (-2) – 3 points
• ** Turkey 0-0-2 (-3) – 0 points

Scenarios

• United States: Clinched Group D - shop knockout round tickets
• Australia: Will advance with a win or draw against Paraguay
• Paraguay: Will advance with a win against Australia

World Cup Group E

Standings

• * Germany 2-0-0 (+7) – 6 points
• Ivory Coast 1-0-1 (0) – 3 points
• Ecuador 0-1-1 (-1) – 1 point
• Curaçao 0-1-1 (-6) – 1 point

Scenarios

• Germany: Clinched Group E - shop knockout round tickets
• Ivory Coast:
  • Will finish as runner-up with a win against Curaçao
  • Will advance with a draw AND if Germany doesn't lose to Ecuador by at least two goals
• Ecuador: Will finish as runner-up with a win against Germany by at least two goals AND an Ivory Coast loss to Curaçao (Ivory Coast holds the head-to-head with Ecuador)
• Curaçao: Will advance with a win and overcoming the goal differential with Ecuador (Ecuador is -1 while Curaçao is -6)

World Cup Group F

Standings

• Japan 1-1-0 (+4) – 4 points
• Netherlands 1-1-0 (+4) – 4 points
• Sweden 1-0-1 (0) – 3 points
• ** Tunisia 0-0-2 (-8) – 0 points

Scenarios

• Netherlands:
  • Will clinch Group F with a win against Tunisia AND a Japan loss or draw
  • Will move on with a draw AND a Sweden win over Japan
  • Will move on with a AND a Japan loss
• Japan: Will move on with a win or draw against Sweden
• Sweden:
  • Will move on with a win against Japan
  • Will win Group F with a win AND a Sweden loss or draw

World Cup Group G

Standings

• Egypt 1-1-0 (+2) – 4 points
• Belgium 0-2-0 (0) – 2 points
• Iran 0-2-0 (0) – 2 points
• New Zealand 0-1-1 (-2) – 1 point

Scenarios

• Egypt:
  • Will win Group G with a win against Iran
  • Will win Group G with a draw AND a Belgium loss or draw to New Zealand
• Belgium:
  • Will move on with a win AND an Egypt win
• Iran:
  • Will move on with a win against Egypt AND a Belgium loss
• New Zealand: Needs a win against Belgium to stay alive

World Cup Group H

Standings

• Spain 1-1-0 (+4) – 4 points
• Cape Verde 0-2-0 (0) – 2 points
• Uruguay 0-2-0 (0) – 2 points
• Saudi Arabia 0-1-1 (-4) – 1 point

Scenarios

• Spain:
  • Will win Group H with a win against Uruguay
  • Will win Group H with a draw AND a Saudi Arabia win or draw against Cape Verde
• Cape Verde:
  • Will move on with a win
  • Will move on with a draw AND a Spain win
• Uruguay:
  • Will move on with a win
  • Will move on with a draw AND a Cape Verde draw or loss

World Cup Group I

Standings

• * France 2-0-0 (+5) – 6 points
• * Norway 2-0-0 (+4) – 6 points
• Senegal 0-0-2 (-3) – 0 points
• Iraq 0-0-2 (-6) – 0 points

Scenarios

• France: Will win Group I with a win or draw against Norway
• Norway: Will win Group I with a win against France (would be runner-up with a loss or draw to France)
• Senegal/Iraq: Loser of match is eliminated, with winner having a chance to move on with a win

World Cup Group J

Standings

• * Argentina 2-0-0 (+5) – 6 points
• Austria 1-0-1 (0) – 3 points
• Algeria 1-0-1 (-2) – 3 points
• ** Jordan 0-0-2 (-3) – 0 points

Scenarios

• Argentina: Clinched Group J - shop knockout round tickets
• Austria: Win advance with a win or draw against Algeria, positioning for runner-up and third-place team with Algeria will be determined by tiebreakers
• Algeria: Win advance with a win or draw against Austria, positioning for runner-up and third-place team with Austria will be determined by tiebreakers

World Cup Group K

Standings

• Colombia 1-0-0 (+2) – 3 points
• Portugal 0-1-0 (0) – 1 point
• Congo DR 0-1-0 (0) – 1 point
• Uzbekistan 0-0-1 (-2) – 0 points

Scenarios

• Colombia:
  • Will move on with a win against Congo DR on Tuesday, June 23
  • Will win Group K with a win AND a Uzbekistan win or draw against Portugal
• Portugal:
  • Will advance with a win against Uzbekistan AND a win against Colombia
• Uzbekistan: Eliminated with a loss to Portugal AND a Congo DR win against Colombia

World Cup Group L

Standings

• England 1-0-0 (+2) – 3 points
• Ghana 1-0-0 (+1) – 3 points
• Panama 0-0-1 (-1) – 0 points
• Croatia 0-0-1 (-2) – 0 points

Scenarios

• England:
  • Will move on with a win against Ghana on Tuesday, June 23
  • Will win Group L with a win against Ghana AND a Croatia win or draw to Panama
• Ghana:
  • Will move on with a win against England
  • Will win Group L with a win against England AND a Croatia loss or draw to Panama
  • Will be eliminated with a loss to Croatia AND an England win or draw against Ghana
• Panama: Eliminated with a loss to Croatia AND an England win or draw against Ghana
• Croatia: Eliminated with a loss to Panama AND a Ghana win or draw against England

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