World Cup 2026 group stage ends with 14 winless teams and Cape Verde qualifying without a victory

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, concluded its group phase featuring 48 national teams. Thirty‑two sides advanced to the knockout round, including Egypt, Morocco and Algeria as the sole Arab representatives.

Fourteen teams failed to register a win in the three‑match group stage. Six of them – Tunisia, Iraq, Jordan, Haiti, Uzbekistan and Panama – lost all three games and finished with zero points. The remaining eight collected only draws, with Cape Verde standing out by reaching the round of 32 on three draws alone.

Individual performances also drew attention. Lionel Messi led the scoring charts with six goals, while other stars such as Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland contributed multiple goals and assists during the opening round.