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The expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially passed its halfway point, with 54 of the tournament’s 104 matches completed and the battle for the title now moving into a more intense phase.
With 50 matches still to be played before the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19, teams are beginning to secure places in the knockout stage while others have already seen their World Cup dreams end, reports AP.
Hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada have all advanced to the Round of 32, while several football stars have made strong starts to the tournament. Argentina captain Lionel Messi has scored five goals so far, while France’s Kylian Mbappé, Norway’s Erling Haaland and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior have each netted four times.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the tournament’s most exciting moments are still ahead.
“The best is yet to come,” Infantino told SNTV earlier this week.
So far, stadiums have attracted large crowds, with FIFA reporting record attendance figures. One of the tournament’s most heartwarming stories has been the journey of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, whose mother was able to attend the World Cup.
Teams already through
Thirteen teams had secured Round of 32 spots by Wednesday.
Group winners include Mexico, Switzerland, Brazil, the United States, Germany and Argentina. France, Norway, Canada, Morocco, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and South Africa have also booked their places in the knockout stage.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos celebrated after guiding his team to its first-ever appearance in the knockout rounds.
Teams eliminated
Seven teams have already been knocked out of the tournament. They are the Czech Republic, Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia, Jordan, Qatar and Panama.
Race for remaining places
With 13 teams qualified and seven eliminated, 28 teams are still competing for the remaining 19 spots in the Round of 32.
Several decisive group-stage matches are still to come, including Australia against Paraguay and Japan against Sweden.
Cape Verde could reach the knockout stage for the first time with a victory over Saudi Arabia, while Colombia and Portugal will battle for top spot in Group K.
United States eyes deep run
The United States will begin its knockout campaign in Santa Clara, California, on July 1.
If the Americans continue winning, their path would take them to Seattle for the Round of 16, Inglewood for the quarterfinals and Arlington, Texas, for the semifinals.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently viewed as the most likely Round of 32 opponent.
Knockout stage brings higher stakes
Once the group phase ends, every match becomes a do-or-die contest.
Any team that loses in the knockout rounds will be eliminated, except in the semifinals where losing teams will still compete in a third-place playoff.
A team must win five straight knockout matches to lift the World Cup trophy.
Goals flowing freely
The tournament is also producing goals at a remarkable rate.
A total of 161 goals had been scored through 54 matches, putting the competition on track to surpass the previous World Cup record of 172 goals set in Qatar in 2022.
The current average stands at 2.98 goals per match, the highest scoring rate in more than 50 years.
Possibility of another Argentina-France final
Football fans could also witness a repeat of the memorable 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France.
Based on the current tournament bracket, the two sides are likely to remain on opposite sides of the draw, meaning they could meet again in the final.
Messi, who turned 39 on Wednesday, has scored all five of Argentina’s goals in the tournament so far, taking his World Cup tally to a record 18 goals.
Meanwhile, Mbappé's four goals have lifted his World Cup total to 16, tying him with German great Miroslav Klose for the second-highest tally in tournament history.
As the group stage nears its conclusion, attention is now turning to the knockout rounds, where the pressure will rise and every match could decide a team's fate.
