World Cup third‑place teams clinch knockout‑stage spots

Eight of the twelve third‑place teams in the World Cup qualifying groups have secured places in the knockout phase. Leading the pack are Sweden, Scotland, Croatia, Algeria and Paraguay, each positioned strongly after the second round of matches. Sweden tops the third‑place table with six points from two games, while Croatia and Belgium, former world‑cup finalists, also remain in contention for a higher finish.

Teams such as the Czech Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador, Bosnia‑Herzegovina and Senegal are in more precarious positions, with some still without a point. The remaining nations must rely on favorable results in the final round to either retain their knockout chances or improve their ranking among the third‑place qualifiers.