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With the group stage concluded and the Round of 32 set, several nations have officially exited the 2026 FIFA World Cup after failing to finish in the top two of their groups or among the eight best third-placed teams.
The countries eliminated at the end of the group stage are:
* Haiti
* Türkiye
* Tunisia
* Curaçao
* Iraq
* Jordan
* Panama
* Qatar
* Uruguay
* Saudi Arabia
* Uzbekistan
* South Korea
* Iran
* Scotland
* Senegal
* Czech Republic (Czechia)
Among the notable exits were Uruguay, a two-time World Cup champion, South Korea, whose campaign ended after defeat to South Africa, and Iran, which narrowly missed qualification after a dramatic final-day result between Austria and Algeria. Scotland also failed to advance as one of the best third-placed teams despite remaining in contention until the final group matches.
The expanded 48-team format allowed 32 nations to progress to the knockout stage, meaning only 16 teams were eliminated after the group phase—far fewer than in previous World Cups. The Round of 32 now features major contenders such as Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, and surprise qualifiers including South Africa, Cape Verde, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
