Ghana, Egypt, Portugal, England and Paraguay have all qualified for the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, advancing to the last 32 on the strength of results from other matches on Friday.
In the expanded 48-team tournament, the top two teams from each group plus the eight best third-placed sides progress to the round of 32.
Only Paraguay have completed all three group matches, while the other four nations still have one fixture remaining but are already assured of a place in the knockouts even in the worst-case scenario.
Each of the five teams sits on four points, a tally that cannot now be overtaken by several third-placed sides in concluded groups, including South Korea (three points), Scotland (three points), and others with lower tallies.
The development boosts the prospects of these nations as the group stage nears its conclusion, with several high-profile teams now guaranteed progression.
Cape Verde also celebrated qualification on Friday, with supporters in Mindelo marking the moment as the island nation reached the knockout phase for the first time.
The results set the stage for intriguing last-32 matchups as the tournament moves into its decisive phase.
