World Cup Knock Out Stage : 2026

Four games to reach the final games and five wins to lift the trophy. That will test consistency. So here we dive into the rounds. The colours represent which group they came from.

The round of 32. What were the surprises of the round? Two only for mine. Germany has failed to fire in the last three WC's so was it a surprise to lose to Paraguay. Based on historical results, a shock. Based on recent tournaments not a total shock but an upset. 

Argentina struggling to get past Cape Verde wasn't totally unexpected, but conceding two goals was to me. They had two 0-0 results in the round robin games so I thought their best chance was 1-0 or 0-0 with penalties. 3-2 was not what I expected.

The round of 16. The big news was that the three host nations were eliminated. If it gives soccer in the region a boost, then a success. If it didn't, then it should have been played elsewhere. All games ended in regular time, except one, which was about as dull as football can get. 

Norway defeating Brazil would normally have been a huge upset. Brazilian football is but a shadow of its former glory while this Norwegian team is probably its best ever. Bring those factors together and not such a surprise. Argentina coming back from 0-2 with 12 minutes left avoided a surprise. One player does seem to be carrying Argentina. 

Quarter Finals: Coming up.

World Cup Host Nations Listed

It is common knowledge that for many years, the process for selecting host nations was flawed. Voting was increasingly not about what was fair or even good for the game, but was politically and strategically led. 

In that environment, nations that lacked sufficient influence were left in the cold. FIFA had an unfair system, the sort that self serving humans specialise in. The unevenness of it all is seen in the history shown below. While some effort has been made to address the way hosting rights are granted, underlying negative issues of how such decisions are made remain. 

The yellow side below shows the year the tournament was - or will be - held, the number of participating countries, and the host or hosts. The 2030 WC will also feature Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, who will each hold opening celebration matches to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup.  

The 2034 event is already earmarked for Asia, with Saudi Arabia as the host nation. It will not be shared, which is surprising, considering 48 nations will be participating. Several new stadiums will be built to accommodate the number of teams involved.  

The blue side shows the inequality starkly. Mexico first hosted in 1970 and has now done so on three occasions. The USA is a twice holder since 1994 and Spain will soon become a second time host, the first time in 1982.

It's good to see more recently many first time nations, from Portugal down to Russia. On the negative side,  Argentina (not since 1978) and England - inexplicably back at 1966 - have been overlooked. Those before them are smaller nations that could at best piggyback on larger hosts. 

England, Netherlands and Scotland would be a good mix. Close proximity, two that have never hosted before and one that is well overdue. Am I holding my breath? No. Some negative issues remain. 

Football World Cup Group Standings: 2026

Twelve groups and forty eight teams. Thirty two qualifying for the next round. All the teams that achieved four points or more qualified as well as Senegal, the lone three point team. With more teams and more qualifying for the next round, there will be more positives. 

Positive surprises: 

Canada had by far their best ever tournament, two lasts and now through.
Bosnia-Herzegovina also through for the first time on a second attempt.
Egypt has much the same record as Canada, three lasts and now qualifying. 
Scotland's equal best tournament, but still no play off place. 
Cape Verde's first tournament and into the play offs!

Negative surprises:

South Korea don't have a great WC history, but I'm sure they will be disappointed. 
Uruguay has won WCs, but Cape Verde outperformed them. 
Turkey rarely make WC's but this was their worst of three.
Italy has now missed its third consecutive WC, despite a fine history at them!