SHAH ALAM - Haiti, Turkiye, and Tunisia have become the first teams eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with their campaigns ending after just two group-stage matches despite the tournament's expanded 48-team format.
The three nations were mathematically eliminated after consecutive defeats in their opening two fixtures, leaving them with no route to automatic qualification or a place among the tournament’s eight best third-placed teams. Under FIFA’s revised tiebreaking regulations, none of the three teams can accumulate enough points to remain in contention, regardless of the outcome of their final group matches.
The 2026 World Cup is the first edition to feature 48 teams, with the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed sides advancing to the round of 32. While the expanded format was intended to give more nations a realistic opportunity to reach the knockout stage, it has not prevented early exits.
Haiti's return ends in disappointment
For Haiti, the elimination is particularly painful, marking the Caribbean nation's first World Cup appearance since 1974.
The Haitians opened their Group C campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Scotland before suffering a 3-0 loss to Brazil. Those results left Haiti without a point from two games and unable to challenge for a top-two finish or secure one of the best third-place slots. The early exit cuts short Haiti's highly anticipated return to football's biggest stage after a 52-year absence.
Turkiye fall short despite high expectations
Turkiye's elimination has emerged as one of the tournament's biggest surprises.
Entering the World Cup with considerable optimism and a squad featuring several highly rated players — including Real Madrid’s star midfielder Arda Guler — expectations were high that the European nation could make a deep run. Instead, Turkiye suffered a disappointing start, losing 2-0 to Australia before falling 1-0 to Paraguay.
The back-to-back defeats left them rooted to the bottom of their group. Their elimination means the Crescent Stars will depart North America without reaching the knockout rounds despite possessing one of the more highly regarded squads among the tournament's middle-ranked nations.
Tunisia's struggles continue
Tunisia also endured a difficult campaign, suffering two heavy defeats in Group F.
The North African side were beaten 5-1 by Sweden in their opening match before a 4-0 loss to Japan confirmed their elimination. The results left Tunisia without points and unable to recover in the standings with only one match remaining.
Tunisia’s World Cup difficulties reflected broader challenges surrounding the national team in recent months, with reports of federation issues and coaching changes disrupting preparations ahead of the tournament.
No margin for error
The elimination of Haiti, Turkiye, and Tunisia demonstrates that while the expanded World Cup offers more qualification opportunities, teams remain vulnerable to early exits if they fail to secure points early.
Conversely, several nations have already secured progression to the knockout rounds after two matches, including co-hosts the United States and Mexico, alongside traditional powerhouse Germany.
As the group stage continues across North America, more teams are expected to either secure qualification or join Haiti, Turkiye, and Tunisia on the list of nations heading home. The new format may have increased the number of teams competing, but the margin for error remains slim, with two poor results proving enough to end World Cup dreams before the final round of group fixtures.