In the 2026 FIFA World Cup , there are 12 groups , and 16 teams are eliminated after the group stage. The tournament has 48 teams total, with 32 advancing to the Round of 32 and the 16 fourth-place teams going out.

Simple breakdown

  • 12 groups of 4 teams each.
  • 32 teams advance to the knockout round.
  • 16 teams are eliminated after the group stage.

Easy example

If a team finishes 4th in its group , it is automatically eliminated.

Quick note

This is different from older World Cups, where there were 8 groups and 16 teams total were eliminated from the group stage as well.

TL;DR: 12 groups, 16 teams eliminated.