Both Haiti and Turkey have already been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after just two matches, a consequence of FIFA’s new tournament rules.
Each team suffered back-to-back defeats in their opening group games, effectively ending any hope of advancing beyond the group stage.
In previous World Cups, losing two matches early on did not necessarily spell the end for a team, as historically three points could be enough for some sides to progress to the Round of 32.
Under those circumstances, if Turkey had managed to beat the United States—ideally by a margin of three goals or more—and Paraguay or Australia had lost their matches, Turkey could have finished third in the group and still had a chance to qualify for the knockout rounds.
However, this is no longer the case. FIFA’s updated regulations now determine the final group standings based on head-to-head results rather than overall goal difference. Since Turkey has already lost to both Australia and Paraguay, it cannot finish above either side. With the United States already leading the group on six points, Turkey’s only option is elimination.
Haiti faces a similar predicament. Having already been defeated by Scotland, Haiti cannot finish above the Tartan Army even if they secure a win against Morocco.
Haiti and Turkey are unlikely to be the only teams exiting the tournament after the second round of matches. Teams such as Curaçao, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, and Croatia are also currently at risk of early elimination.
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