World Cup 2026 rules, best thirds and France’s potential round of 32 opponents | OneFootball

The 2026 World Cup expands to 48 teams, adds a round of 32 and makes third-placed qualification unusually intricate. According to L'Équipe, allocating the best thirds is the toughest part.

There are 12 groups of four, each team plays the others once. The top two in each group progress alongside the eight best third-placed sides to complete the 32-team knockout phase.

From Thursday to 19 July there are 104 matches, 40 more than before. Eight group winners will face a third-placed opponent.

Group ties are settled by head-to-head points, goal difference then goals, then overall goal difference and goals, then fair play and FIFA ranking. For best thirds on equal points, only those last four count.

If France top Group I they would face a third-placed side from C, D, F, G or H. In 55.8 percent of the 495 cases it would be Group F, Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia, then D on 20 percent, G on 14.1 percent, H on 9.7 percent and C on 0.4 percent.

If France finish third after playing Senegal on 16 June, Iraq on 22 and Norway on 26, their last-32 tie could fall on one July, Mexico at three, Atlanta at 18.00 or Seattle at 22.00, on two July, San Francisco at two, on three July, Vancouver at five, or on four July, Kansas City at three thirty. A night-time kick-off in French time would be more likely.

Source: L'Équipe