Which teams have been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup?
Two countries are out of the expanded 48-team tournament as of Saturday, June 20. Here’s how elimination works.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is bigger than ever. With 48 teams, a brand-new format, and more paths to the knockout stage, it takes longer for teams to officially be eliminated. But even with the expanded field, a couple of nations have already seen their World Cup dreams come to an early end.
Here’s a look at the teams that have been knocked out so far, and how it all works.
Teams eliminated from 2026 World Cup
Updated Saturday, June 20
Haiti (Group C)
Haiti became the first team officially eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after back-to-back losses to open their campaign.
A 3–0 defeat to Brazil followed an earlier loss to Scotland, leaving them with zero points and no mathematical path to advance, even with one group game remaining. With other teams in the group already picking up points, Haiti cannot catch up in the standings or tiebreakers.
With their loss to Brazil and Morocco's win vs. Scotland, Haiti is the first nation to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/qVema3hsWn
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 20, 2026
It’s a tough exit, but not an unexpected one in a group featuring significantly more experienced squads.
Turkey (Group D)
Turkey’s tournament has been one of the more disappointing storylines so far. Losses to Paraguay and Australia left them pointless through two matches, and without even a goal scored. Despite showing flashes in build-up play, their inability to finish chances ultimately cost them and sealed their early elimination.
Turkey have failed to score so far at this World Cup despite attempting 62 shots ❌
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 20, 2026
It's the most attempts without a goal in any two-match span in the competition on record since 1966. pic.twitter.com/vS8QPPYLjE
Heading into the tournament with higher expectations, Turkey becomes one of the first major letdowns of the group stage.
How does elimination work at the 2026 World Cup?
The expanded format is the key reason only a few teams are out so far. Here’s the simple version:
- There are 12 groups of 4 teams
- The top 2 teams in each group automatically advance
- The 8 best third-place teams also move on
That means 32 of the 48 teams reach the knockout stage. As a result, teams aren’t eliminated as quickly as in past tournaments. To be knocked out early, a team typically needs to lose their first two matches and rely on other results going against them.
Who could be next?
With the group stage still unfolding, more eliminations are coming soon. Teams sitting on zero or one point, including Czechia, South Africa, Jordan, Algeria, Panama and Croatia, are already on the brink. One more loss could send them home. Over the next round of matches, expect the list of eliminated teams to grow quickly.
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