How the World Cup Standings Look After Day 26: Who's Still In and Who's Going Home

The 2026 World Cup is down to its final teams after 26 days of action. The United States was one of the biggest names eliminated, falling to Belgium in the round of 32. That result dropped the U.S. four spots in the global rankings. With the quarterfinals approaching, the competition is stronger than ever.

Argentina is still among the top favorites, but they have not truly been challenged by a great team yet. Cape Verde, playing in their first-ever World Cup, gave Argentina their toughest game so far. The small island nation came back from behind twice before finally losing to the world champions. Argentina will face Egypt next, and the real tests begin after that.

England put together one of the most impressive performances of the tournament so far. They beat Mexico at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City — a place where Mexico had never lost a World Cup match before. Bellingham and Kane were excellent, and the defense held strong even after a red card left England with ten players. England now prepares to face Norway and the dangerous Erling Haaland in the quarterfinals.

Morocco is writing history as the best African soccer team ever seen at a World Cup. They became the first African nation to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals and also won the AFCON title earlier this year. A 3-0 win over Canada in the round of 16 showed how clinical they can be in front of goal. Now they take on France in a match with huge cultural meaning for both countries.

Norway shocked the soccer world by knocking out Brazil in the round of 16. Haaland scored twice to send his country to their first-ever World Cup quarterfinal. Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland has been outstanding, and Odegaard runs the midfield with skill and calm. Norway now faces England, where Haaland and Odegaard will meet familiar faces from their English club teammates.

Belgium looked average early in the tournament but has turned things around in a big way. After a 5-1 win over New Zealand and an incredible comeback against Senegal, they knocked out the United States to reach the last eight. Their momentum is real, but they suffered a setback when midfielder Amadou Onana tore a knee ligament. It remains to be seen how that injury will affect their quarterfinal against Spain.

Egypt made World Cup history at this tournament in a big way. For the first time ever, they won a game at the World Cup, despite having competed nine times before since 1934. They followed that up by eliminating Australia on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw. Now they face world champions Argentina — by far the biggest challenge of their journey.

Cape Verde captured the hearts of soccer fans everywhere with their magical run. The small island nation drew all three of their group-stage matches, including a 0-0 tie with European champions Spain, and somehow finished above Uruguay. Goalkeeper Vozinha made eight saves against Argentina, including a stunning stop on Messi. Full-back Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a curling goal that many believe could win goal of the tournament.

Several big teams have already been sent home in disappointment. Brazil, the five-time world champions, lost to Norway in the round of 16 and will now go 28 years without a title by the next World Cup. Germany fell to Paraguay — and their head coach Nagelsmann has since left the job. Portugal were knocked out by Spain, likely ending Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career, though he did score in a record sixth tournament.

Smaller and newer nations also made lasting impressions. Curacao became the smallest country ever to compete at a World Cup and earned a point against Ecuador. Bosnia and Herzegovina reached the knockout stage for the first time as an independent nation. New Zealand's Elijah Just scored three goals to become a fan favorite. As the quarterfinals begin, the remaining eight teams know that every single game from here could be their last.