World Cup Group Stage Nears Decisive Final Round

The second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage ended on Wednesday morning, with one matchday left before the knockout rounds. Several groups are already mostly settled, but the final games could still decide who advances and who goes home. The report notes that four points will likely be enough to reach the next stage as one of the best third-place teams, while three points plus a strong goal difference could also matter. If two teams are tied within a group, head-to-head results come before goal difference.

The teams that have already won their groups are Mexico, the United States, Germany and Argentina. Norway, France and Colombia have already secured qualification. Haiti, Turkey, Jordan, Tunisia and Panama have been eliminated. The most likely knockout-round pairings at this stage include Colombia-Ghana, France-Sweden, Netherlands-Morocco and Portugal-Croatia. In the round of 16, possible marquee matchups include Brazil-Norway, Germany-France and Spain-Colombia.

In Group G, Egypt leads with 4 points, ahead of Iran and Belgium on 2 points each, and New Zealand on 1. Egypt-Iran and New Zealand-Belgium remain, with Belgium needing a win to qualify, Egypt effectively through, and Iran possibly needing more than a draw. In Group H, Spain has 4 points, Uruguay and Cape Verde have 2 each, and Saudi Arabia has 1, with Spain and Cape Verde in strong positions.

Group I is headed by France and Norway, both on 6 points, and their meeting will decide first place; France would finish top with a draw. Senegal and Iraq have both lost twice. Group J has Argentina on 6 points, Austria and Algeria on 3, and Jordan out, while Argentina has already won the group and Austria and Algeria likely need a draw to advance. Group K pits Colombia, on 6, against Portugal, on 4, in a direct battle for first, and Congo can still qualify if it beats Uzbekistan. In Group L, England and Ghana each have 4 points, Croatia has 3, and Panama is eliminated; England can clinch the group with a win, while a draw between Croatia and Ghana could send both through.