World Cup 2026: Teams Still Competing and What’s Next

As the World Cup 2026 heats up, only a handful of teams remain in contention. After recent matches, Spain, Switzerland, and Portugal secured their places in the round of 16 following victories on Thursday and overnight games. Their wins came at the expense of Austria, Algeria, and Croatia, who have now exited the tournament.

This edition of the World Cup is unique with 48 teams competing for the first time, leading to an extra knockout round. From the initial 32 teams advancing out of groups—the 12 group winners, 12 runners-up, and eight best third-placed teams—the field will be reduced by half before the round of 16 kicks off on Saturday.

Here’s a look at the 19 teams still alive as of Friday, 3 July 2026:

Group A: Mexico
Group B: Canada, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Norway
Group J: Argentina
Group K: Colombia, Portugal
Group L: England, Ghana

Groups E and F currently have no teams remaining in the competition. The next stage promises to be intense as the number of contenders shrinks rapidly.

If you want to stay updated, you can download the Radio Times World Cup 2026 wall chart to keep track of every fixture. For those eager to test their football knowledge, try the Radio Times football predictor during the summer.