WC 2026 Match Week 2 Wrapup Upsets Eliminated Knockout Stage

Group Stage Match Week 2 Wrap-Up: Upsets, Exits, and Who Has Already Punched Their Ticket

Match Week 2 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage did not disappoint. Across 24 matches played from June 18 to 23, the expanded 48-team tournament delivered scorelines that rewrote expectations, sent household names home early, and confirmed that the road to the Round of 32 is not a given for anyone. Here is the full breakdown.

The Biggest Upset of Match Week 2: Cape Verde Hold Uruguay to a 2-2 Draw

If the opening matchday belonged to Cape Verde stunning Spain with a 0-0 draw, Match Week 2 confirmed this was no fluke. The debutants from a West African island nation of just over 500,000 people went into their second group game against a Uruguay side ranked far above them and came away with a 2-2 draw, leaving the two-time World Cup winners scrambling for points.

Back-to-back draws from Cape Verde in Group H represent arguably the most sustained upset story of the tournament so far. Spain managed 27 shots in their opener against the Cape Verdeans and could not find the net. Goalkeeper Vozinha was the story of Match Week 1, and the squad as a collective has been the story of Match Week 2.

Going into the final group game, Cape Verde sit second in Group H on two points, ahead of Uruguay on head-to-head tiebreakers. For context, Spain are the reigning European champions. The fairytale continues.

Honorable Mentions: Other Scorelines That Raised Eyebrows

• Canada 6-0 Qatar: Jonathan David's hat-trick and a dominant performance from the co-hosts produced one of the biggest scoreline blowouts of the group stage so far. Qatar, who drew with Switzerland in Match Week 1, fell apart completely.
• Netherlands 5-1 Sweden: Sweden came into the game on the back of a 5-1 win over Tunisia in Match Week 1. The Dutch answered with the same scoreline in the opposite direction, a brutal reversal that knocked Sweden from first to third in Group F overnight.
• Egypt 3-1 New Zealand: Egypt entered the tournament as underdogs in Group G. Two games in, they sit top of the group with four points, firmly in control of their own knockout destiny.

Who Has Been Eliminated After Match Week 2 ?

The expanded format means fewer teams exit early, but five sides have already been mathematically eliminated after two games. Each lost both of their opening matches and cannot reach the eight-spot threshold for best third-place finishers.

Haiti (Group C)

Haiti qualified for just their second-ever World Cup, having last appeared in 1974. They lost to Scotland in Match Week 1 and were eliminated after a 3-0 defeat to Brazil. A historic appearance, but the margin of defeat tells the story of how far the gap between Haiti and the group's top sides remains.

Turkiye (Group D)

Turkiye had been penciled in as a potential dark horse before the tournament began. They lost 2-0 to Australia in Match Week 1 and then fell to Paraguay in Match Week 2, despite being statistically the better team across both games. Coach Vincenzo Montella admitted the results were cruel but accepted the outcome. They play the United States in a dead rubber to close the group.

Tunisia (Group F)

Tunisia conceded nine goals across two games. They fell 5-1 to Sweden in Match Week 1 and 4-0 to Japan in Match Week 2, with the second defeat coming on the 1000th game in World Cup history. Their head coach was sacked after the Sweden defeat, and the replacement failed to change the trajectory. Tunisia face the Netherlands in their final group game.

Jordan (Group J)

One of four debutants at this tournament, Jordan put up a fight but ultimately could not navigate a group containing Argentina, Algeria, and Austria. They lost 3-1 to Austria and 2-1 to Algeria in a late comeback. Their final game is against Argentina, which will serve as a send-off against the defending champions.

Panama (Group L)

Panama lost 1-0 to Ghana in Match Week 1 and dropped another 1-0 result to Croatia in Match Week 2. They never got off the ground offensively and head home without registering a goal.

Teams That Have Clinched Knockout Stage Spots

Seven teams have already secured their place in the Round of 32 by winning both of their opening matches. Three of those are tournament co-hosts.

Mexico (Group A)

The hosts opened with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca and followed it up with a 1-0 win over South Korea to claim top spot in Group A. Mexico are the first team through to the Round of 32 at this tournament. South Korea sit second with three points but have not yet secured their place.

United States (Group D)

The United States crushed Paraguay 4-1 on Match Week 1 and followed that with a 2-0 win over Australia to seal Group D with a game to spare. Alex Freeman was the surprise hero across both matches. The USMNT now face an already-eliminated Turkiye in a Match Week 3 that gives coach Gregg Berhalter a chance to manage his rotation ahead of the knockout rounds.

Germany (Group E)

Germany dispatched Curacao 7-1 in their opener and then beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in a tighter Match Week 2, with substitute Denis Undav scoring twice including a stoppage-time winner. Die Mannschaft have returned to form after early exits in both 2018 and 2022. They top Group E and face Ecuador in their final group game.

France (Group I)

Kylian Mbappe is the story of Group I. He scored twice against Senegal in a 3-1 Match Week 1 win to become France's all-time leading scorer and added more goals in a 3-0 win over Iraq in Match Week 2. France lead the group on goal difference ahead of Norway, and the two qualified nations meet in Match Week 3 to decide the group winner.

Norway (Group I)

Erling Haaland scored twice on his World Cup debut against Iraq in a 4-1 Match Week 1 win and got on the scoresheet again in a 3-2 win over Senegal in Match Week 2. Norway's first World Cup since 1998 has been a statement of intent. They sit second in Group I on goal difference behind France, and their head-to-head clash in Match Week 3 will be the most eagerly anticipated fixture of the final round.

Argentina (Group J)

Lionel Messi delivered a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria in Match Week 2, cementing the defending champions as heavy favorites to advance deep into this tournament. They had already beaten Austria 1-0 in Match Week 1 and confirmed top spot in Group J with Austria's win over Jordan in a simultaneous game.

Colombia (Group K)

Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in Match Week 1 and followed that with a 1-0 win over DR Congo in Match Week 2, with Victor Munoz scoring the decisive goal. They top Group K with six points but have not yet confirmed first place, with Portugal sitting second on four points after a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan in Match Week 2.

Match Week 3 Outlook: What to Watch

The final round of group games kicks off June 24 and runs through June 27, with all matches in each group played simultaneously. Several groups still have everything to play for.

Group B: Canada vs. Switzerland Decides First Place

Canada and Switzerland both enter the final day on four points. Canada crushed Qatar 6-0 in Match Week 2, with Jonathan David scoring three, while Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1. The two sides meet in Vancouver in what amounts to a winner-take-all match for the group title. Canada advancing as group winners would keep them in Vancouver for the Round of 32. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar are both still mathematically alive but would need a massive result and a goal-difference swing.

Group F: Netherlands and Japan Fight for Top Spot

The Netherlands and Japan are level on four points heading into Match Week 3, both sitting above an already-eliminated Tunisia and a Sweden side sitting third on three points. Sweden can still advance as one of the eight best third-place teams, but they need to beat Japan while hoping the Netherlands do not run up the score against Tunisia. The Japan vs. Sweden game is effectively a quarterfinal in group-stage clothing.

Group G: Egypt in Control, Belgium and Iran in a Three-Way Scrap

Egypt top Group G on four points after a 3-1 win over New Zealand. A win over Iran in Match Week 3 clinches their knockout spot and the group. Belgium and Iran both sit on two points and need to win while hoping results go their way. New Zealand are at the bottom on one point but remain mathematically alive. This is one of the most wide-open groups heading into the final day.

Group H: Spain vs. Uruguay is the Decider

Spain, back to something resembling full strength with Lamine Yamal fit and firing after their opening-day stumble against Cape Verde, head into Match Week 3 atop Group H with four points. Their final game against Uruguay is a blockbuster. Cape Verde sit second on two points, their fairytale run very much alive. Saudi Arabia are bottom on one point but still technically alive. A Spanish win over Uruguay likely locks up the group, but a stumble could see the debutants sneak into the top two.

Group J: Jordan vs. Argentina and Algeria vs. Austria

Both knockout spots are still officially up for grabs, though Argentina have already topped the group. Algeria sit second on three points after beating Jordan. Austria are also on three points but trail on goal difference. Algeria and Austria meet in Match Week 3 with second place on the line, while Argentina give World Cup debutants Jordan a farewell performance.

Group L: Croatia vs. Ghana Decides Second Spot

Croatia have three points, Ghana have three points, and they face each other in Match Week 3. The winner advances automatically. Panama play England in the other game, but England's four points mean they are already through. Croatia's elimination of Panama has set up a straightforward decider in what was the most open group heading into the final day.

The Takeaway from Two Games In

The expanded 48-team format has done what it was supposed to do. It has created more stakes, more drama, and more room for underdogs to shock the established order. Cape Verde have already done it twice. Haaland and Mbappe are both in devastating form at exactly the right time. The co-hosts are all alive, with the United States already through and Mexico locked in. Germany are back.

The group stage wraps up by June 27. Knockout football begins June 28. For everything on the World Cup bracket, group standings, and fantasy scoring on the $BRACKETS platform, stay locked into Nektr Blogs.