Every MLS player eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the group stage | OneFootball

The World Cup has entered its most exciting stage so far: the knockout rounds. With the opening match ending in Canada’s win over South Africa, many teams are now making their final adjustments to avoid going home before reaching the final.

However, MLS had a record 45 players called up for this tournament, and several of them have already packed their bags and headed home.

Join us to know which countries and MLS players were eliminated from the World Cup. This listing is after South Africa's elimination from the tournament.

These are the countries and MLS players who have gone home

South Africa

June 28, 2026; Inglewood, California, U.S.; South Africa's Thalente Mbatha looks dejected after the match. Mandatory Credit: Jessie Alcheh-Imagn Images | Jessie Alcheh-Imagn Images

After their loss against the Canadian soccer team, the AFCON team said goodbye to the most prestigious soccer tournament. With a performance outside of expectations, South Africa managed to qualify for the next round after suffering on their debut.

June 18, 2026; Guadalajara, Mexico; South Korea's Son Heung-min during the warm up before the match. Mandatory Credit: Paul Childs-Reuters via Imagn Images | Paul Childs-Reuters via Imagn Images

The truth is that South Korea failed to live up to expectations. Many people, myself included, expected them to finish at least second in the group, if not first. Instead, they entered the final group-stage match fighting to stay alive, but South Africa got the better of them and claimed the qualification spot.

Haití

June 24, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.; Haiti's Martin Experience looks dejected as he applauds fans after the match. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Haiti exceeded almost everyone's expectations, especially compared to South Korea. However, it still was not enough to reach the knockout stage. Even so, its performance against Morocco will be remembered as one of the country's greatest achievements on the World Cup stage.

Tunisia

Mar 15, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Rayan Elloumi (19) warms up against the prior to the first half against the Minnesota United FC at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images | Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

Tunisia indeed got the death group with Japan, the Netherlands, and Sweden. However, the team couldn’t get a point, leaving much to be desired about their World Cup participation.

Uruguay

June 15, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S.; Uruguay's Juan Manuel Sanabria in action with Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Uruguay's performance was one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament. Drawn into what appeared to be an accessible group, most expected La Celeste to finish behind Spain and comfortably reach the knockout stage.

Instead, Marcelo Bielsa's side finished with two draws and one defeat, returning home with far more questions than answers after a World Cup campaign to forget.

Irak

Apr 28, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville SC midfielder Ahmed Qasem (37) chases after the ball during the second half of their Concacaf Champions Cup Semifinals game against Tigres UANL at GEODIS Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images | Alan Poizner-Imagn Images

Just like Tunisia, Iraq suffered the cruelty of being drawn into a group with three strong national teams: Norway, Senegal, and France. That made an early elimination feel almost inevitable before the tournament even started, although Iraq still managed to deliver a respectable performance considering the level of its opponents.

Panama

June 27, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.; Panama's Adalberto Carrasquilla during the warm up before the match. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images | Caean Couto-Imagn Images

Another example of a team that had a rough group. In the preview, Panama was seen as the weakest in a group with England, Croatia, and Ghana. Unfortunately, that was the case. Nonetheless, for the Panamanians, simply qualifying for this World Cup is seen as an achievement.