At last, the moment don arrive. This Thursday, June 11, the 2026 FIFA World Cup officially kick off for United States, Mexico, and Canada. The greatest event for international football dey start with an unprecedented format of 48 national teams, kicking off Group A with two thrilling matches.
The legendary and historic pitch of the Azteca Stadium go host the opening match of the tournament, firing the starting gun for a month of pure football excitement. The opening clash between Mexico and South Africa go pit the strength of two teams wey dey obliged to redeem themselves from the very first minute.
The host side, backed by the unwavering and raucous fans at the Azteca Stadium, go take to the pitch looking to dispel the doubts wey dey carry from previous campaigns. The first matchday of Group A go complete well into the early hours for Spain with the clash between South Korea and the Czech Republic at Akron Stadium for Guadalajara.
Tracking the World Cup standings: later today, the 2026 FIFA World Cup go get underway. There be two matches for Thursday’s docket: Host team Mexico dey start things against South Africa, while a little later South Korea go square off with Czechia. And for short order, the other 44 teams go join the fray.
Here, we dey keep track on the standings for each of the 12 groups at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. You fit also learn about how tiebreakers dey determined, and how the eight best third-place teams go be decided, as those teams go join the top two teams from each group for the round of 32.
This 48-team extravaganza be the biggest World Cup wey don ever happen, and e fit just be the most complex too. Twelve groups of four teams fit be enough to follow for the first place, but those fans of brackets wey get familiarity of past tournaments fit get sense of what the issue be here. A dozen groups no make a round robin path to the final easily.
As such, eight of the 12 groups go send their third-placed team to the first knockout rounds, meaning 72 games go be required to trim a third off this field. Those third-placed teams go be ranked first by the points wey dem accrue and then by goal difference, goals scored, their team conduct score (yellow and red cards), and then their FIFA ranking. For short, this fit get complicated. There go be a lot to follow, an awful lot of permutations wey fit, for example, decide whether Scotland go through and Sweden no go.
With the expansion of the field to 48 nations, the knockout round go look a little different at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Rather than beginning with a round of 16, the knockout stage go begin with a round of 32. That be right, 32 out of the 48 nations go advance to the knockout rounds: The top two teams for each group go be the first 24 teams, and then the other eight go be the eight best third-place teams.
Finally, a word on tiebreakers at the World Cup. If two or more teams for the same group dey equal on points following the group stage, a three-step process go be followed to determine tiebreakers. For the first step, the greatest number of points for the group matches between the tied teams go be applied. Then, the superior goal difference from the group matches between the tied teams go be applied, and finally, the greatest number of goals scored for all group matches between the tied teams go be applied.
If that no fit determine a tiebreaker, then the teams wey still dey equal go advance to step two. For this stage, the first step be the goal difference for all group matches, then the greatest number of goals for all group matches, and finally the highest team conduct score (relating to yellow and red cards) go be applied. If that no break the tie, then the teams still equal on points go be ranked according to the most recent FIFA World Rankings.
Here be how FIFA go stack the third-place teams. First, the greatest number of points for all group matches. Second, the goal difference from all group matches. Third, the number of goals scored for all group matches. Fourth, the team conduct score. If there still dey ties after those four steps dey applied, the teams still equal on points go be ranked according to the most recent FIFA World Rankings.
