Which third-placed teams go through from the World Cup group stage?

John McGinn making glasses with his fingers and holding them to his eyes.

The World Cup group stage is already starting to take some sort of shape as the first round of games rumbles on.

There have been big wins, tense draws, comebacks, late dramas, and upsets - but what does it all mean in the new, extended 48-team competition?

After all, it's no longer just the top two sides that go through, as it was in the previous 32-side World Cup format that had been in effect from 1998 to 2022: it is possible, but not guaranteed, to go through by finishing third.

How the 2026 World Cup third-placed rankings work

The final knockout stage draw will depend on which groups provide the best eight third-placed teams (Image credit: Getty Images)

If you've followed the past few Euros - or if you're old enough to remember the 24-team World Cups before 1998 - then you'll already have an idea of it, because it's basically the same thing but with twice as many teams.

In short, the third-placed teams from each of the 12 groups are all placed in a league table together. The eight best-ranking sides go through to the knockouts, with the other four eliminated from the competition.

If two third-placed sides finish level of points, then they are separated by (in order, as required):

1. Goal difference
2. Goals scored
3. Team conduct score (fair play rating, based on yellow and red cards)
4. Latest FIFA world ranking

(Technically, previous FIFA world rankings would be used if it was still all even after that, but there is no chance that will be required because no two teams in the current rankings are exactly level.)

Just to confirm, there is no scenario in which a team that finishes fourth in a group can qualify for the knockouts.

That could create a situation whereby a team in one group finishes with four points and goes out, while a team in another group goes through with three points - as happened to Ukraine at Euro 2024. Feels unfair, but them's the rules.

Current third place rankings

After the games played on June 24, and the early hours of June 25, the standings look like this.

It's worth keeping in mind that side with a game still to play can still drop in this table, thanks to the implications on goal difference in the event of a defeat; and that the sides currently in third place after two games may not necessarily finish there in the end.

1. Bosnia and Herzegovina (3 played, 4 points, −1 GD) - QUALIFIED
2. Sweden (2 played, 3 points, 0 GD)
3. Croatia (2 played, 3 points, −1 GD)
4. South Korea (3 played, 3 points, -1 GD)
5. Algeria (2 played, 3 points, −2 GD)
6. Paraguay (2 played, 3 points, −2 GD)
7. Scotland (3 played, 3 points, −3 GD)
8. Cape Verde (2 played, 2 points, 0 GD)
9. Belgium (2 played, 2 points, 0 GD
10. DR Congo (2 played, 1 points, −1 GD)
11. Ecuador (2 played, 1 points, −1 GD)
12. Senegal (2 played, 0 points, −3 GD)