2026 FIFA World Cup reaches halfway as teams clinch Round of 32 spots

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has passed the midpoint, with 54 of the 104 scheduled matches completed. Thirteen teams have secured places in the Round of 32, including the host nations United States, Mexico and Canada, which have all advanced to the knockout stage.

Top scorers so far are Argentina's Lionel Messi with five goals, France's Kylian Mbappé, Norway's Erling Haaland and Brazil's Vinícius Júnior each with four. FIFA President Gianni Infantino highlighted the record attendance and said "the best is yet to come."

In related news, Belgian forward Jeremy Doku faced criticism after announcing he would leave the tournament to attend the birth of his first child; French broadcaster France Pierron called the decision "disgusting," later apologising for the remarks. Canada qualified for its first World Cup knockout round, while the United States outlined a potential path to the final through matches in Santa Clara, Seattle, Inglewood and Arlington.