Best third placed teams in the group of the 2026 World Cup
The best third-placed teams in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup qualify for the knockout phase. Who are the best third-placed teams in the group stage? What are the rules for the best third-placed teams in the group?
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The first and second-placed teams from each of the 12 groups will, as usual, advance to the next round. That makes 24 teams qualifying for the knockout stage. To reach a total of 32 teams in the Round of 32, 8 more teams are needed. These remaining 8 teams are the best third-placed teams from the group stage of the tournament.
To determine which 8 teams rank as the best third-placed teams, the group standings are decisive. All 12 third-placed teams from each group are placed into a separate ranking table, from which the best 8 are determined. This means that 4 third-placed teams will be eliminated after the group stage.
Rules for the best third-placed teams in the group stage at the 2026 World Cup
The eight best third-placed teams in the group stage will advance to the next round. Since there are twelve groups, FIFA has established rules in Article 13 of the 2026 World Cup regulations to determine which teams qualify as the best third-placed teams in the group stage.
The eight highest-ranked teams among those finishing third are determined as follows:
- the highest number of points obtained in all group matches;
- superior goal difference resulting from all group matches;
- the highest number of goals scored in all group matches;
- the best team conduct score (players and team officials) in relation to the number of yellow and red cards received in all group matches, calculated in accordance with Article 13, paragraph 1, step 2;
- the two or more teams still level on points are ranked according to the most recent edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking;
- the two or more teams still level on points are ranked according to the edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking immediately preceding the most recent one, and this process is repeated until a decision is reached.
Standings best third placed teams of the 2026 World Cup
This is the position of the best third placed teams in the group of the 2026 World Cup.
| Country | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Congo (K) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +4 | -3 | 4 |
 Sweden (F) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +7 | -7 | 4 |
 Ecuador (E) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +2 | -2 | 4 |
 Ghana (L) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +2 | -2 | 4 |
 Bosnia-Herz. (B) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +5 | -6 | 4 |
 Algeria (J) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +5 | -7 | 4 |
 Paraguay (D) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +2 | -4 | 4 |
 Senegal (I) |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +8 | -6 | 3 |
 Iran (G)* |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | -3 | 3 |
 South Korea (A)* |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +2 | -3 | 3 |
 Scotland (C)* |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +1 | -4 | 3 |
 Uruguay (H)* |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +3 | -4 | 2 |
* Eliminated.
Who do the best third-placed teams play against in the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup?
Which team will the best third-placed teams face in the Round of 32 at the World Cup? The table below shows the different possible matchups for how the best third-placed teams will be assigned in the knockout phase.
The allocation depends on which groups the best third-placed teams come from. There are 495 different possible combinations that have been pre-determined by FIFA and are listed in Appendix C of the 2026 World Cup Regulations.
Teams from groups A, B, D, E, G, I, K, and L will play against a third-placed team. Teams from other groups — C, F, H, and J — will face a second-placed team from another group.
Example of how the 8 best third-placed teams are assigned to opponents
The opponents of the best third-placed teams are predetermined, but depend on which groups these third-placed teams come from. Below is an example.
If the eight best third-placed teams, according to the above ranking, come from groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H, then the matches will be as follows (first option):
- 1A - 3H
- 1B - 3G
- 1D - 3B
- 1E - 3C
- 1G - 3A
- 1I - 3F
- 1K - 3D
- 1L - 3E
Combinations for the 8 best third-placed teams
These are 10 of the 495 different combinations:
| Group | 1A | 1B | 1D | 1E | 1G | 1I | 1K | 1L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABCDEFGH | 3H | 3G | 3B | 3C | 3A | 3F | 3D | 3E |
| ABCDEFGI | 3C | 3G | 3B | 3D | 3A | 3F | 3E | 3I |
| ABCDEFGJ | 3C | 3G | 3B | 3D | 3A | 3F | 3E | 3J |
| ABCDEFGK | 3C | 3G | 3B | 3D | 3A | 3F | 3E | 3K |
| ABCDEFGL | 3C | 3G | 3B | 3D | 3A | 3F | 3L | 3E |
| ABCDEFHI | 3H | 3E | 3B | 3C | 3A | 3F | 3D | 3I |
| ABCDEFHJ | 3H | 3J | 3B | 3C | 3A | 3F | 3D | 3E |
| ABCDEFHK | 3H | 3E | 3B | 3C | 3A | 3F | 3D | 3K |
| ABCDEFHL | 3H | 3F | 3B | 3C | 3A | 3D | 3L | 3E |
| ABCDEFIJ | 3C | 3J | 3B | 3D | 3A | 3F | 3E | 3I |
Download an overview with all 495 combinations in Excel.
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About the author
Author of this content is Patrick. I have been playing soccer for more than 25 years and follow the daily news closely. My hobbies include playing football, running and maintaining various websites, in addition to my job as a financial professional.
I do not work for any related company or institution, so the information is reliable and independent. The information has been collected accurately from reliable sources and is regularly updated.