2026 World Cup Knockout Round: Teams That Have Advanced So Far
The 2026 World Cup has entered its second week, and some teams have already moved on to their second group stage matches. This means several squads have clinched places in the knockout phase.
This edition of the tournament expanded to 48 teams, which changes the knockout round setup. Instead of starting with the Round of 16, it now begins with the Round of 32. Not only do the top two finishers in each group advance, but also the eight best third-place teams get through. We are keeping track of those third-place standings to see which teams still have a chance despite being third in their groups.
Mexico Leads Group A and Advances First
Mexico became the first team to confirm their spot in the Round of 32 after a 1-0 victory over South Korea on Thursday night. They had kicked off their campaign with a solid 2-0 win against South Africa. Earlier that day, South Africa and Czechia drew 1-1, which meant the winner of the Mexico-South Korea game would take the top spot in Group A.
The match saw a goalless first half until Luis Romo capitalized on a rare error by South Korea’s goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu. The keeper collided with a teammate inside the box and lost possession, allowing Romo to score for Mexico.
In the final minutes, Raúl Rangel made crucial saves to stop South Korea from equalizing, securing Mexico’s win.
El Tri will face one of the third-place teams from Groups C, E, F, H, or I in the Round of 32. Their match will be played in Mexico City, so they maintain home advantage for this stage.
