Panama and Jordan have become the latest nations to be officially knocked out of the 2026 World Cup, following a FIFA rule change that has altered the qualification landscape. They join Tunisia, Turkey, and Haiti, who were already eliminated after losing their first two group stage matches.
New Tiebreaker Rule Ends Hopes Early
Under the expanded 48-team format, eight of the 12 third-placed sides will advance to the knockout stages alongside the top two from each group. However, FIFA's new tiebreaker rule, which prioritises head-to-head results over goal difference, has ended the hopes of Panama and Jordan before their final group games.
Jordan, World Cup debutants, suffered defeats to Austria and Algeria. Even if they shock reigning champions Argentina in their final match, they cannot climb off the bottom of Group J because they lost to both Austria and Algeria, who each have three points.
Panama, England's next opponents, lost narrowly to Ghana and Croatia. They currently sit on zero points, while Croatia have three, and Ghana and England have four each. A victory over England on Saturday would not be enough to lift them from fourth place in Group L.
Group Stage Fixtures Continue
The final round of group stage matches begins on Wednesday, with Switzerland facing Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina taking on Qatar in Group B at 8pm UK time. In Group C, Morocco play Haiti, and Scotland face Brazil at 11pm BST. Early Thursday morning at 2am UK time, South Africa vs South Korea and Czechia vs Mexico conclude Group A.
Teams finishing third in their groups may face a nervous wait, as the eight best third-placed sides might not be determined until Sunday.
