The group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered drama, surprises and heartbreak, with several nations already securing places in the knockout rounds while others have seen their campaigns end before the tournament’s decisive phase.
Among the biggest stories of the opening round is the shock elimination of two-time world champions Uruguay, whose disappointing campaign ended with an early exit from Group H.
Uruguay among biggest casualties
Uruguay’s World Cup hopes were extinguished following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Spain on Saturday, June 27, leaving Marcelo Bielsa’s side third in Group H with only two points from three matches.
The South Americans failed to register a victory during the group stage, drawing twice before their decisive loss to Spain.
Speaking after the elimination, Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa accepted responsibility for the team’s underwhelming performances.
“I wasn’t able to get the best out of the quality Uruguay has in its players,” Bielsa said.
“I couldn’t get the level of the individual players to come together as a team that reflected their quality.”
The early exit represents one of the tournament’s biggest disappointments, given Uruguay’s rich World Cup history and the quality within their squad.
Teams eliminated from the group stage
Several nations have already been knocked out of the tournament after failing to finish in the qualification positions within their groups.
Group A
- Czechia – Finished with one point after defeats to Korea Republic and Mexico.
Group B
- Qatar – Ended bottom of the group after recording one draw and defeats to Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Group E
- Curaçao – The tournament debutants finished bottom despite earning a memorable draw against Ecuador.
Group G
- New Zealand – Oceania’s sole representative finished last in the group and failed to advance.
Group H
- Uruguay – Eliminated after drawing twice and losing to Spain.
- Saudi Arabia – Finished bottom of the group with two points.
Group I
- Iraq – Lost all three group matches against France, Norway and Senegal.
Group J
- Jordan – Exited after defeats in their opening matches against Austria and Algeria.
Group L
- Panama – Finished bottom following losses to Ghana and Croatia.
Early exits for Haiti, Tunisia and Türkiye
Haiti’s World Cup journey ended after successive defeats to Scotland and Brazil, leaving them unable to challenge for a knockout-round place.
Tunisia also endured a difficult tournament, suffering heavy defeats to Sweden and Japan to exit after just two matches.
Also Read: From 1 to 48 – every World Cup team ranked after opening matches
Türkiye’s campaign proved equally disappointing. Despite successfully navigating the UEFA play-offs to qualify for the finals, they were eliminated after defeats to Australia and Paraguay.
Knockout stage takes shape
As several nations head home, attention now shifts to the knockout rounds, where the remaining teams will battle for a place in the latter stages of the competition.
With traditional powerhouses progressing alongside a number of surprise performers, the tournament remains wide open as the race for World Cup glory intensifies.
