The 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage ran from June 11-27, 2026

48 teams, 12 groups of four, the largest group stage in tournament history. From Mexico's opening win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca to England's rematch with Croatia in Group L, every group produced its own storyline — and more than a few upsets. Here's exactly how all 12 groups (A through L) finished, and the results that decided it.

How the 2026 World Cup Group Stage Worked

The expansion from 32 to 48 teams created a new structure: 12 groups of four, with three teams able to advance from each. The top two went through automatically to the new Round of 32. The eight best third-placed teams from across all 12 groups also advanced.

Tiebreakers were applied in this order: points, goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record, fair play score, and finally drawing of lots. The third-placed team rankings then used points, goal difference, goals scored, conduct score, and FIFA world ranking.

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic, Czechia

Group A result

Winner: Mexico | Runner-up: South Africa

Mexico opened their home World Cup with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca — goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez in a match that also produced three red cards. South Africa recovered to finish second and reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2010. South Korea advanced as one of the best third-placed teams; Czechia were eliminated.

Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland

Group B result

Winner: Switzerland | Runner-up: Canada

Switzerland's experience proved decisive, but co-hosts Canada still did enough to finish second in front of their own fans. Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced as one of the best third-placed teams on their tournament return; Qatar were eliminated in the group stage for the second straight World Cup.

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland

Group C result

Winner: Brazil | Runner-up: Morocco

Brazil beat Scotland 3-0 in their final group game to top the section on seven points, while Morocco came from behind to beat Haiti 4-2 and pip Scotland to second place on goal difference — also finishing on seven points. Earlier, Brazil and Morocco had drawn 1-1 with each other, Ismael Saibari's opener cancelled out by a Vinícius Júnior equaliser. Scotland's three points from three games weren't enough to join the best third-placed teams, and Haiti finished bottom without a win.

Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye

Group D result

Winner: United States | Runner-up: Australia

The USMNT opened with a statement 4-1 win over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium — Paraguay defender Damian Bobadilla's own goal inside the first ten minutes set the tone before a Folarin Balogun brace and a late Gio Reyna goal completed the rout. The hosts topped the group, Australia came through as runners-up, and Paraguay advanced anyway as one of the best third-placed teams. Türkiye, tipped by many for a top-two finish, were eliminated.

Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

Group E result

Winner: Germany | Runner-up: Ivory Coast

Germany topped the group on six points despite a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador along the way. Ivory Coast matched Germany on six points and edged into second, beating debutants Curaçao 2-0 to reach their first-ever World Cup knockout round. Ecuador's win over Germany was enough to see them through as one of the best third-placed teams; Curaçao's fairytale debut ended in the group stage.

Group F: Sweden, Japan, Netherlands, Tunisia

Group F result

Winner: Netherlands | Runner-up: Japan

The Netherlands topped Group F as expected, with Japan — who beat both Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup — following them through in second. Sweden advanced as one of the best third-placed teams on their return from the playoffs; Tunisia were eliminated, still searching for a first-ever knockout stage appearance.

Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand

Group G result

Winner: Belgium | Runner-up: Egypt

Belgium topped the group as the clear favourites, with Mohamed Salah's Egypt following them through in second. Iran and New Zealand were both eliminated in the group stage.

Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde

Group H result

Winner: Spain | Runner-up: Cape Verde

Spain topped the group with a 1-0 win over Uruguay — Alex Baena's 42nd-minute strike, helped by a goalkeeping error, secured top spot. The bigger story was Cape Verde: World Cup debutants who finished second and reached the knockout stage in their first-ever appearance. Uruguay, two-time champions, went home without a single win in three group games — one of the tournament's biggest shocks.

Group I: France, Norway, Senegal, Iraq — the Group of Death

Group I result

Winner: France | Runner-up: Norway

France beat Senegal 3-1 in their group meeting — a Kylian Mbappé brace and a Bradley Barcola goal — on the way to topping the toughest group in the tournament. Norway, with Erling Haaland at his first-ever World Cup, followed France through in second. Senegal's Premier League-heavy squad advanced anyway as one of the best third-placed teams; Iraq were eliminated.

Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan

Group J result

Winner: Argentina | Runner-up: Austria

Argentina began their title defence with a 3-0 win over Algeria — a Lionel Messi hat-trick that equalled Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup record of 16 goals, scored 20 years to the day after Messi's World Cup debut. Austria followed the defending champions through in second, while Algeria advanced anyway as one of the best third-placed teams. Jordan, at their first-ever World Cup, were eliminated.

Group K: Portugal, Colombia, DR Congo, Uzbekistan

Group K result

Winner: Colombia | Runner-up: Portugal

The group's biggest upset: Colombia, not Portugal, finished top. A goalless draw between the two in their head-to-head — Colombia had a late header ruled out by VAR for offside — was enough to send Colombia through in first place, with Portugal following as runners-up. DR Congo advanced as one of the best third-placed teams on their first World Cup appearance in 52 years; Uzbekistan, tournament debutants, were eliminated.

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

Group L result

Winner: England | Runner-up: Croatia

England's 2018 semi-final rematch with Croatia lived up to the billing: a 4-2 win built on a Harry Kane brace and second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford, with Petar Musa and Martin Baturina replying for Croatia. England topped the group as favourites, Croatia followed them through, and Ghana advanced as one of the best third-placed teams. Panama were eliminated.

Standout group-stage results

• June 11 — Mexico 2-0 South Africa: the tournament opener at Estadio Azteca
• June 12 — USA 4-1 Paraguay: the USMNT's dominant World Cup debut at SoFi Stadium
• June 13 — Brazil 1-1 Morocco: the 2022 semi-finalists shared the points in their group meeting
• June 16 — Argentina 3-0 Algeria: Messi's hat-trick equalled Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record
• June 16 — France 3-1 Senegal: Mbappé's brace headlined the Group of Death opener
• June 17 — England 4-2 Croatia: the 2018 semi-final rematch delivered six goals
• June 26/27 — Spain 1-0 Uruguay and Colombia 0-0 Portugal: two group deciders on the same weekend, each settled by the finest of margins

For the official record, see the final FIFA World Cup 2026 group standings.

FAQ

How many groups are in the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup had 12 groups (A through L), with four teams in each group — an expansion from the eight-group format used at the 2022 tournament, made possible by the increase from 32 to 48 participating nations.

Which group was the "group of death" at the 2026 World Cup?

Group I was widely considered the group of death, pairing France with Norway (Erling Haaland's first World Cup) and Senegal's Premier League-heavy squad. France topped it, with Norway and Senegal both advancing.

Did the pre-tournament favourites actually win their groups?

Mostly, but not entirely. Spain, France, Argentina and England all topped their groups as expected, but Colombia beat out favourites Portugal in Group K, Cape Verde stunned Uruguay to finish second in Group H, and Australia — not Türkiye — came through as runners-up in Group D.

How did teams advance from the World Cup 2026 group stage?

The top two teams from each of the 12 groups automatically qualified for the Round of 32, plus the eight best third-placed teams. That brought 32 teams into the knockout stage, with ties broken by points, goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record, fair play record, and finally a draw.

Which teams were eliminated in the World Cup 2026 group stage?

Notable early exits included two-time champions Uruguay (Group H), Türkiye (Group D) and Qatar (Group B, eliminated in the group stage for a second straight World Cup), among others across the 12 groups.

Who eventually won the 2026 World Cup?

Spain, who topped Group H, went on to beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final. See our full 2026 World Cup results and award winners recap.