- 2026 World Cup: List Of Eliminated Teams From Each Continent So Far
- Asia recorded the highest number of eliminations with seven teams.
- Thirty two nations remain in contention for the World Cup title.
The group stage of the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup has ended, with 16 countries eliminated and 32 teams advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament.
The 2026 edition, expanded from 32 to 48 teams, gave more nations the opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that however, several countries have now seen their World Cup campaigns come to an end after failing to progress beyond the group stage.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recorded the biggest number of exits, with seven of its nine representatives eliminated. Only Australia and Japan secured places in the Round of 32.
The eliminated AFC teams are:
- South Korea
- Qatar
- Iraq
- Iran
- Jordan
- Uzbekistan
- Saudi Arabia
Africa enjoyed one of its best World Cup group stage performances, with eight of its nine representatives initially progressing.
However, South Africa became the second African nation to exit the competition after losing 1-0 to co-hosts Canada in the Round of 32, leaving seven African teams still in contention.
The African team eliminated in the group stage is:
- Tunisia
Europe remains the best represented confederation in the knockout stage despite losing only three of its 16 participating nations.
The eliminated UEFA teams are:
- Scotland
- Czechia
- Türkiye
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) also lost three teams after the group stage.
The eliminated CONCACAF teams are:
- Haiti
- Cape Verde
- Panama
The United States, Canada and Mexico remain the confederation’s representatives in the knockout stage.
South America’s CONMEBOL once again impressed, with five of its six teams advancing beyond the group stage.
The eliminated CONMEBOL team is:
- Uruguay
Oceania’s only representative, New Zealand, also failed to qualify for the knockout stage.
The eliminated OFC team is:
- New Zealand
With 32 teams still in the race for the title, UEFA leads the remaining field with 13 countries, followed by CAF with eight, CONMEBOL with five, CONCACAF with three and AFC with two.
The battle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy now moves into the knockout rounds as the remaining teams continue their quest for football’s biggest prize.
