Best Third-Placed Teams — FIFA World Cup 2026 | World Cup Insights

How the third-place rule works

With 12 groups of 4 in the 2026 World Cup, the top two of each group qualify directly to the Round of 32. The remaining 8 slots go to the eight best third-placed teams across all groups, ranked by points → goal difference → goals scored. Four third-placed teams go home.

✓Advancing to Round of 32

#	Team	Group	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	🇨🇩DR Congo	Group K	3	1	1	1	4	3	+1	4
2	🇸🇪Sweden	Group F	3	1	1	1	7	7	0	4
3	🇪🇨Ecuador	Group E	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
4	🇬🇭Ghana	Group L	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
5	🇧🇦Bosnia and Herzegovina	Group B	3	1	1	1	5	6	-1	4
6	🇩🇿Algeria	Group J	3	1	1	1	5	7	-2	4
7	🇵🇾Paraguay	Group D	3	1	1	1	2	4	-2	4
8	🇸🇳Senegal	Group I	3	1	0	2	8	6	+2	3

✗Eliminated

#	Team	Group	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
9	🇮🇷Iran	Group G	3	0	3	0	3	3	0	3
10	🇰🇷South Korea	Group A	3	1	0	2	2	3	-1	3
11	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland	Group C	3	1	0	2	1	4	-3	3
12	🇺🇾Uruguay	Group H	3	0	2	1	3	4	-1	2

Carregando...

How the third-place rule works

✓Advancing to Round of 32

#	Team	Group	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	🇨🇩DR Congo	Group K	3	1	1	1	4	3	+1	4
2	🇸🇪Sweden	Group F	3	1	1	1	7	7	0	4
3	🇪🇨Ecuador	Group E	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
4	🇬🇭Ghana	Group L	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
5	🇧🇦Bosnia and Herzegovina	Group B	3	1	1	1	5	6	-1	4
6	🇩🇿Algeria	Group J	3	1	1	1	5	7	-2	4
7	🇵🇾Paraguay	Group D	3	1	1	1	2	4	-2	4
8	🇸🇳Senegal	Group I	3	1	0	2	8	6	+2	3

✗Eliminated

#	Team	Group	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
9	🇮🇷Iran	Group G	3	0	3	0	3	3	0	3
10	🇰🇷South Korea	Group A	3	1	0	2	2	3	-1	3
11	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland	Group C	3	1	0	2	1	4	-3	3
12	🇺🇾Uruguay	Group H	3	0	2	1	3	4	-1	2