World Cup 2026 third-place standings and how many points needed to qualify for last 32 | OneFootball

With an expanded 48-team World Cup, eight of the best third-placed teams can reach the knockouts

The expanded World Cup 2026 format means the introduction of a round of 32 and for some third-placed teams a chance at knockout glory.

Teams who finish fourth in their groups are eliminated immediately, but eight of the 12 third-placed teams will live to fight another day. And the battle is close.

Scotland currently sit second in the third-place table and could squeeze through; their 1-0 win over Haiti and 1-0 defeat to Morocco means the even a narrow defeat to Brazil in their final group game could be enough to reach the knockouts.

Sweden, who boast a front two of Alexander Isak and Arsenal’s Victor Gyokeres, are top of the third-placed table, but face Japan in a tough final group game. The Swedes looked certain for the knockouts after defeating Tunisia 5-1, but a thumping defeat at the hands of the Netherlands means their fate is uncertain.

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This table does not include bottom-placed teams like Iraq, who could finish third in Group I with a win over Senegal as both have lost their first two games. Expect high drama as the third-placed teams will change a lot over each team’s remaining games.

How are the eight best third-placed teams decided?

The eight best third-placed teams are ranked based on several criteria.

First, teams are compared by the total number of points they obtained in all group matches. If teams are still level, their goal difference across all group matches is considered. If a tie remains, the total number of goals scored in all group matches is used.