The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins later today, with host nation Mexico opening the tournament against South Africa and South Korea facing Czechia in Thursday’s other match. As play gets underway, the remaining 44 teams will soon join the competition across 12 groups, with the event set to unfold through the expanded 48-team format.
Group-stage standings will be tracked for every group, from Group A through Group L, as the tournament progresses. Mexico starts Group A on top after beating South Africa 2-0, while Czechia, South Korea and South Africa are still looking for their first points. Group A’s remaining matches include Czechia vs. South Africa, Mexico vs. South Korea, South Africa vs. South Korea and Czechia vs. Mexico.
The other groups feature a wide range of opening matchups, including Canada against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B, Brazil against Morocco in Group C, the United States against Paraguay in Group D, Germany against Curaçao in Group E, the Netherlands against Japan in Group F, Belgium against Egypt in Group G, Spain against Cabo Verde in Group H, France against Senegal in Group I, Argentina against Algeria in Group J, Portugal against DR Congo in Group K, and England against Croatia in Group L.
Under the World Cup’s expanded format, 32 teams will advance to the knockout stage instead of 16. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups will qualify automatically, accounting for 24 spots. The remaining eight places will go to the best third-place finishers across the groups.
Tiebreakers in the group stage will be determined in a defined order. If teams are level on points, FIFA will first compare points earned in matches among the tied teams, followed by goal difference in those matches, then goals scored in those matches. If teams remain level, overall group goal difference, overall goals scored and team conduct score will be used. If they are still tied after that, FIFA rankings will determine placement.
The third-place teams will also be ranked using a separate tiebreaking process. FIFA will first compare points in all group matches, then overall goal difference, then goals scored, and finally team conduct score. If teams remain tied after those steps, the most recent FIFA World Rankings will be used.
With matches scheduled across June 11 through June 27 in the group stage, the race for advancement is expected to be competitive from the start. The standings in each group will continue to shift as the tournament develops, with the top two in every group and the best third-place teams moving on to the round of 32.
