Five more teams advance to WC knockout stage

Five more teams have officially secured their places in the FIFA World Cup (WC) Round of 32 before the conclusion of the group stage.

Egypt, England, Ghana, Portugal and Paraguay are the latest sides to book their spots in the knockout phase.

Heading into their final group matches, Egypt, England, Ghana and Portugal were all on four points. Results elsewhere—particularly in Group H—reduced the qualification threshold to four points, allowing the quartet to advance regardless of the outcomes of their remaining fixtures. Paraguay also confirmed its place in the Round of 32 under the same scenario.

They join 19 teams that had already sealed qualification: Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Morocco, the United States, Australia, Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, France, Norway, Argentina and Colombia.

With these latest additions, 24 of the 32 knockout berths have now been confirmed. The remaining eight places will be decided after the final round of group-stage matches.

The Round of 32 is set to begin on June 28. From this stage onward, the tournament will follow a single-elimination format, with the losing team eliminated immediately.

If a match remains level after 90 minutes, it will go into 30 minutes of extra time, split into two 15-minute halves. Should the scores remain tied, the winner will be determined by a penalty shootout, with the victorious side advancing to the next round.