The 2026 World Cup has barely begun, but for four countries, the tournament is already over after two matchdays.
These four countries are mathematically eliminated and can no longer advance to the knockout stage. Africa Top Sports keeps you informed!
This early elimination is a direct result of the new format of the FIFA tournament. Starting with this World Cup, in the event of a tie in the group standings, the result of the head-to-head match is decisive, rather than goal difference.
Since the affected countries had already lost to their main rivals, third place in the group became out of reach.
The eliminated teams:
- Haiti (Group C): A narrow 1-0 loss to Scotland, followed by a 3-0 loss to Brazil.
- Turkey (Group D): Started with a 2-0 loss to Australia and then lost 1-0 to Paraguay.
- Tunisia (Group F): Was outclassed by Sweden (5-1) and then suffered a painful 4-0 loss to Japan.
- Jordan (Group J): Lost 3-1 to Austria and 1-2 to Algeria.
