▲ DR Congo players celebrating
The list of nations advancing to the round of 32 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, which features 48 countries for the first time in history, was finalized today, June 28.
Following 16 days of group stage matches, 24 nations that finished first or second in their respective 12 groups, along with the top eight third-place teams, have advanced to the newly established round of 32 to compete for a spot in the round of 16.
Notably, all three co-hosts of the tournament—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—have successfully advanced to the round of 32.
In the previous 2022 tournament, host nation Qatar failed to pass the group stage after suffering three consecutive losses.
This marks the second time in World Cup history that a tournament has been co-hosted by more than two nations, following the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
Just as co-hosts South Korea and Japan both advanced to the round of 16 as group winners in the 2002 tournament, which featured 32 teams, all three co-hosts have achieved the same feat in this year's competition.
By continent, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) showed remarkable progress.
Out of 10 nations that qualified for the tournament, nine have advanced to the round of 32.
With the expansion of the tournament, the number of CAF participants doubled from five in the 2022 Qatar World Cup to 10, and the number of teams reaching the knockout stage increased more than fourfold.
It appears that African nations, known for their combination of power, endurance, and agility, have benefited the most from the expansion of the tournament.
In particular, the story of Cape Verde, an island nation with a population of 500,000 that reached the round of 32 in its World Cup debut, has added to the excitement of this tournament.
South Africa, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and Cape Verde secured their spots in the round of 32 early by finishing second in their groups, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Algeria, and Senegal earned their tickets by ranking among the top eight third-place teams.
In contrast, only two out of the nine nations from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)—Japan and Australia—passed the group stage, standing in stark contrast to the African continent.
Jordan and Uzbekistan, making their first-ever appearances on the World Cup stage, both finished with three losses, reaffirming the high level of global competition.
Nations from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), which effectively dominate world football, lived up to their reputations.
Thirteen out of 16 UEFA nations advanced to the round of 32, with only the Czech Republic, Scotland, and Turkey being eliminated.
Among the six CONMEBOL nations, five advanced to the round of 32 with ease, with the exception of Uruguay, while New Zealand, representing the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), was eliminated.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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