COMPLETE RUNDOWN: Nations knocked out of World Cup following initial round

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The group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has concluded, with 16 teams bowing out of the tournament after failing to secure places in the Round of 32.

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Among the biggest casualties were Tunisia, Uruguay, Türkiye, Korea Republic and Scotland, while tournament debutants Uzbekistan and Curaçao were also eliminated despite spirited campaigns.

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Africa recorded an impressive outing, with nine of its 10 representatives among 32 countries progressing to the knockout stage.n

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Tunisia was the continent’s only team eliminated after finishing bottom of Group F without a point.

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The 16 countries eliminated after the group stage are:

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• Haiti
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• Tunisia
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• Türkiye
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• Jordan
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• Panama
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• Qatar
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• Czechia
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• Curaçao
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• Iraq
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• Uruguay
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• Saudi Arabia
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• New Zealand
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• Scotland
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• Uzbekistan
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• Korea Republic
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• IR Iran
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Several teams exited despite encouraging performances.

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Scotland finished third in Group C but missed out on a place among the best third-placed teams, while IR Iran remained unbeaten with three draws but also failed to qualify for the knockout rounds.

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Uruguay, semi-finalists in previous editions, suffered a shock early exit after finishing third in Group H with two points.

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Korea Republic also fell short after placing third in Group A behind Mexico and South Africa.

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The Round of 32 begins on Sunday (today), with the remaining 32 teams battling for places in the last 16 of the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup.

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Check out the full fixtures of the Round of 32 here: https://punchng.com/world-cup-2026-round-of-32-full-fixtures-dates-venues-revealed/n

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