2026 World Cup: How will the best third-placed teams be selected for the round of 16?

The 2026 World Cup features 48 teams in 12 groups of four. The top two from each group (24 teams) directly advance to the round of 16, with the eight best third-placed teams completing the bracket. To rank third-placed teams, FIFA uses in order: points, goal difference, goals scored, fair play (cards), most recent FIFA ranking, and previous edition's ranking. A similar system was used from 1986 to 1994.