Five Nations Eliminated from 2026 World Cup After Two Rounds
Short overview
Five nations have been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after losing their first two group stage matches. Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia, Jordan, and Panama are out. A format change means head-to-head records are the primary tiebreaker.
Five nations have already been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after the first two rounds of group stage fixtures. Of the 48 nations competing, 16 will be eliminated by the time the group stage concludes in the early hours of Sunday morning (BST).
Eliminated Teams
All teams finishing bottom of their group will depart at the end of the group stage, as well as the four third-placed nations with the worst group stage records. The five nations that have lost both of their opening matches are:
Haiti (Group C)
Haiti's exit from their first World Cup since 1974 has been confirmed after losses against Scotland and Brazil.
Turkey (Group ?)
Turkey are the first European nation whose exit has been confirmed, following successive defeats to Australia and Paraguay.
Tunisia (Group ?)
Tunisia are the only African nation guaranteed to exit at the group stage at present. They have suffered four-goal defeats to both Sweden and Japan.
Jordan (Group ?)
Tournament debutants Jordan are the only Asian nation already mathematically guaranteed not to advance past the group stage.
Panama (Group L)
In England's Group L, Panama have had an early exit confirmed after 1-0 defeats to Ghana and Croatia.
Format Change
A format change to this World Cup means head-to-head records, instead of goal difference, are the primary tiebreaker for countries level on points.
This article is from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.
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