Group previews

South Korea captain Son Heung-min has apologized for the team's group-stage exit at the World Cup, saying he is "indescribably hurt" and eager to "win the hearts" of the nation once again.

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England supporters in the United States are praised for their "excellent" behaviour during the group stage of the World Cup, but domestic incidents are up on recent tournaments.

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New format, new teams and fascinating storylines. But did the new World Cup group stage really work?

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Crystal Palace and Sunderland lead the Premier League’s World Cup scoring charts after the 2026 group stage, ahead of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.

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As the World Cup group stages come to an end, BBC Sport reporters pick their highlights so far.

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Austria and Algeria played to a thrilling 3-3 draw Saturday night in what amounted to a win-win result in their World Cup group-stage finale, allowing both to advance to the knockout round while eliminating Iran from the tournament.

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England did their job topping the group - but they can forget winning the World Cup if they do not improve, writes Phil McNulty.

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Steve Clarke resigns as Scotland head coach following the nation's group exit from the World Cup.

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It's the final day of World Cup action from the group stages, as Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Lionel Messi (maybe) could play on the same day.

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Did Steve Clarke get the best out of his Scotland squad at the 2026 World Cup as they face group-stage exit?

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How has a group of islands with just 525,000 inhabitants made it to the knockout rounds of the World Cup?

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Cape Verde deliver a valiant performance to earn their third draw of the group stage, a result that means they qualify for the last 32 in their World Cup debut while Saudi Arabia crash out.

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England's place in the knockout stages of the World Cup is confirmed by other results before they face Panama in their final group game on Saturday.

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Iran's coach refuses to discuss pride celebrations in Seattle, where his country face Egypt in a crucial Group G match.

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Two matches in the final round of group games present the chance for two teams to simply play out a draw to qualify.

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Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa took the field during the 78th minute of Mexico's 3-0 win over Czechia, giving the 40-year-old the chance to appear in his sixth World Cup.

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We are now down to the final round of group stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where all teams from the same group will be playing at the same time.

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BBC Sport's football expert Chris Sutton gives his predictions for the scores of the final set of group games at the 2026 World Cup.

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BBC Scotland's Andy Burke looks at Carlo Ancelotti and his mission at Brazil before their final Group C game against Scotland.

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With eight teams already having nothing to play for, has the jeopardy in the group stage at the World Cup been diminished? And are concerns over the integrity of competition justified?

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Iran leave a message saying "may peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations" following their World Cup group game with Belgium.

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With the second round of group-stage matches under way, we assess who can play who in the knockout rounds - and how they can get there.

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Fifa is using head-to-head records instead of group goal difference as the first tiebreaker for teams who are level on points at the World Cup.

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BBC Sport's football expert Chris Sutton gives his predictions for the scores of the second round of group games at the 2026 World Cup.

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The head of fan group Football Supporters Europe says a lack of fan segregation at the 2026 World Cup shows Fifa has "lost control of their ticketing".

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Spain were held to a 0-0 draw by 64th-ranked Cape Verde on Monday in the first major shock of the World Cup group stages.

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European champions Spain were held to surprise 0-0 draw by debutants Cape Verde in their World Cup opener, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha producing a standout performance for his side in their Group H clash.

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Fifa says numerous empty seats were visible in the near-sell-out Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic because of fans remaining on concourses.

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Iran's football federation says its allocation of tickets for the group stage of the World Cup has been revoked just days before the tournament.

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All of Iran's group games are in the US, but players and support staff will have to fly in and out of the country on match day.

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All the TV and radio details for each of the 2026 World Cup group games.

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Fifa says fans who were mistakenly given free tickets to World Cup group stage matches in Toronto must pay for them within seven days or lose the seats.

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A guide to the early warning signs in World Cup groups, from opening-match pressure to fixture sequencing.