The race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage has claimed its first casualties, with eight nations officially eliminated after failing to progress from the group stage.
Among those heading home are tournament debutants Jordan and Curacao, while 2022 hosts Qatar and African representatives Tunisia have also seen their campaigns come to an end.
With the expanded 48-team format allowing more nations to qualify for the Round of 32, several teams still failed to secure enough points to keep their hopes alive.
Teams eliminated from the tournament
The eight countries officially knocked out are Haiti, Turkiye, Tunisia, Jordan, Panama, Qatar, Czechia and Curacao.
Early exits confirmed
Haiti became the first nation eliminated after consecutive defeats to Scotland and Brazil left them without a point in Group C.
Turkiye followed after losses to Australia and Paraguay ended their return to the World Cup after a 24-year absence.
Tunisia’s campaign also ended early following heavy defeats to Sweden and Japan, extending their wait for a first appearance in the knockout stages.
Jordan’s World Cup debut concluded after defeats to Austria and Algeria left them unable to qualify from Group J.
Panama exited after back-to-back defeats against Ghana and Croatia in Group L.
Qatar, hosts of the 2022 World Cup, were eliminated after losing 3-1 to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their final group match, finishing bottom of Group B with just one point.
Cohosts Mexico ended Czechia’s hopes with a 3-1 victory that left the European side at the foot of Group A with one point from three matches.
Curacao became the latest team to be knocked out after 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast ended an otherwise memorable campaign.
The Caribbean nation had become the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup finals.
More eliminations are expected as the remaining group-stage fixtures conclude and the final places in the Round of 32 are decided.
