There will be a total of 104 matches in this World Cup, half of which have been completed. That means 54 matches have been completed. Now 50 matches are left. By July 19, there will be a new champion.
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The 2026 World Cup has now entered its 'halftime'. Everyone can take a moment to rest. After Thursday's games, the competition has reached its midpoint. There will be a total of 104 matches in this World Cup, half of which have been completed. That means 54 matches have been completed. Now 50 matches remain. By July 19, a new champion will be crowned.
The host country, the United States, has reached the last 32. This is not a surprise to many. In the biggest tournament in the history of world football so far, the other hosts, Mexico and Canada, have also reached the knockout stage.
As expected, the star players have also been in rhythm so far, especially Argentina's Lionel Messi. He has scored 5 goals. Argentina's goal will be to win the title for the second time in a row. France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland have both scored 4 goals. Now, Brazil's Vinicius Junior has also been added to the list of 4-goal scorers. To the delight of FIFA, the stadiums are also full. This time, we can expect a record number of viewers.
The entire tournament has also given some very positive messages. For example, the story of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vojinha. His mother has also now reached the United States. FIFA President Gianni Infantino says, ‘This World Cup has yet to get better.’ What does that mean? The remaining half of this World Cup will be dramatic and exciting.
Who’s in, who’s out?
After Thursday’s matches, the number of teams that will reach the last 32 has reached 13. So far, Mexico has won Group ‘A’, Switzerland Group ‘B’, Brazil Group ‘C’, the United States Group ‘D’, Germany Group ‘E’ and Argentina Group ‘J’. The other teams that have reached the knockout stage are France, Norway, Canada, Morocco, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Africa.
South Africa coach Hugo Bruce said after his team's historic achievement, "I now know what it feels like to reach the knockout stage. This experience cannot be described in words. I am especially happy with my players."
A list of some of the teams whose challenge is no longer in the competition has also been prepared. These teams include the Czech Republic, Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia, Jordan, Qatar and Panama. So far, 13 teams have reached the knockout stage and 7 teams have been eliminated from the competition, leaving 28 teams in contention. These teams will try to win the remaining 19 places in the last 32. After these matches, the competition will enter the knockout stage. This means that it will not be a chance to advance by winning, but to return home.
