The expanded 48-team format of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has given more nations a realistic path to the knockout stage, with the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-place finishers advancing to the Round of 32.
However, even with that new format, three teams have already been mathematically eliminated from the tournament after the second round group-stage matches.
Despite still having one game remaining, Haiti, Turkiye, and Tunisia no longer have any path to the knockout rounds due to their results and the tournament’s tiebreaking criteria. Here is a closer look at the teams eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Haiti
Haiti became the first team officially eliminated from Group C. The Caribbean nation lost their opening match against Scotland (1-0), before suffering another defeat against Brazil (3-0). Those two results left Haiti with zero points through two games and no mathematical route to either a top-two finish or one of the best third-place spots.
Turkiye
Turkiye have been one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament. Entering the World Cup with a talented generation led by Arda Güler, expectations were high for the Crescent Stars. Instead, Turkiye lost their opening match against Australia (2-0) and then suffered another defeat against Paraguay (1-0).
Those back-to-back losses eliminated the European side before the final matchday. Despite the quality present in the squad, Turkiye will leave the tournament without reaching the Round of 32.
Tunisia
Tunisia’s difficult World Cup campaign continued in Group F. The North Africans lost both of their matches in Monterrey, first against Sweden (5-1) and then against Japan (4-0). Those defeats left Tunisia without points and officially eliminated from contention.
The team’s struggles reflected a turbulent period off the field, as federation issues and coaching changes disrupted preparations before and during the tournament.
