[Saba Sports News] All 72 group stage matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico have now concluded. The full lineup of 32 teams has been confirmed, with the matchups for the Round of 32 officially finalised. Breaking down qualified teams by confederation: thirteen European sides, nine African nations, five South American teams, three representatives from CONCACAF, and only two Asian teams secured knockout stage berths, while no Oceania teams advanced. Africa stands out as the biggest beneficiary of the World Cup’s expanded format. Nine out of its ten participating nations qualified, marking a 90% advancement rate that ranks highest among all confederations. By contrast, Asia suffered a disastrous campaign. Out of nine Asian entrants, only Japan and Australia made it through, delivering a mere 22.2% qualification rate. Heavyweight Asian sides including South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were all eliminated. Looking at the knockout bracket, the top half is dubbed a brutal European battleground, featuring five historic European powerhouses: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Should these favourites win their opening knockout ties, blockbuster showdowns akin to potential finals, such as Germany versus France and Portugal against Spain, could take place as early as the Round of 16. The bottom half features a more balanced draw. Brazil, England and Argentina are placed on separate paths and will not cross paths in the short term. Defending champions Argentina landed a favourable draw; their quarter of the bracket contains no elite opponents, leaving pundits widely optimistic about their chances of reaching the semi-finals. Portugal, however, landed in a punishing section of the Round of 16. They face Croatia in their opening knockout fixture, and should they prevail, a clash with Spain will likely follow in the next round.
The editor believes that the first World Cup expanded to 48 teams is about to enter its most brutal single-elimination phase. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić and Kevin De Bruyne — this will very likely be their final World Cup. The farewells of an old generation and the coronation of a new era will unfold side by side over these two weeks of knockout matches.