England, Portugal, Ghana, Egypt and Paraguay have all secured qualification for the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the outcome of other group-stage matches.

The five nations confirmed their places in the knockout stage on Friday under the qualification format of the expanded 48-team tournament.

Among the qualified teams, only Paraguay have completed all three of their group-stage matches. England, Portugal, Ghana and Egypt each have one group fixture remaining but are already guaranteed progression to the next round.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup features an expanded format in which the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, advance to the Round of 32.

With four points each, England, Portugal, Ghana, Egypt and Paraguay are assured of finishing with a points total that cannot be overtaken by several third-placed teams from other groups.

Their qualification was confirmed after it became mathematically impossible for the third-placed teams in Group A, South Korea (three points); Group C, Scotland (three points); Group H, where Uruguay have two points and Cape Verde have three; and Group I, Senegal (three points), to surpass the four-point mark.

As a result, the five teams are guaranteed at least one of the eight available places reserved for the best third-placed finishers, even if they fail to win their remaining group matches.

The confirmation further shapes the knockout stage as the race continues for the remaining Round of 32 qualification spots in the expanded global football tournament.