FIFA World Cup Road To Final: Argentina Get Easiest Route; Portugal, Spain, Germany May Exit Early

The top 32 teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026 have been decided after a gruelling and drama-filled group stage, which culminated on Saturday. Defending champions Argentina maintained their perfect run in the group stage, winning all three matches, with Lionel Messi averaging two goals per game. France, who won the World Cup in 2018, also won all three games, with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele leading the scoring charts for Les Bleus. Mexico, one of the hosts for this World Cup, was the only other side to win all three of its group stage games.

Germany, the 2014 champions, will be disappointed to have lost their final group stage game against Ecuador, especially after starting the tournament with a 7-1 win over Curacao. Brazil, Portugal, England, and even European champions Spain will not be completely happy with how the group stage of the World Cup concluded for them.

It was also a heartbreak for millions of football fans to see Argentina and Portugal go to different sides of the World Cup schedule bracket, meaning they cannot face each other until the final. But which team has the easiest road to the World Cup final?

The answer, actually, is quite easy. It is the defending champions, Argentina, led by none other than Messi.

Argentina's Path to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final

Argentina face Cape Verde in the Round of 32. Although the islanders have produced some fine upsets in this World Cup, getting the better of the mighty Argentinians will be their biggest challenge yet. If Argentina beat Cape Verde, they will square off against the winner of the clash between Egypt and Australia, two teams who limped into the knockouts of the tournament.

A potential quarter-final clash for Argentina could see them take on one of Switzerland, Colombia, Ghana, or Algeria. Argentina can seriously fancy their chances against any of these four opponents.

In the semi-finals, Argentina are likely to face one of Brazil, Norway, Ivory Coast, or England, whilst Panama and Ecuador could also produce a few upsets. Until the penultimate hurdle of the tournament, Argentina are not expected to be seriously tested in this World Cup.

The Round of 32 is set. #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/viM72iNjw3

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 28, 2026

European Giants Stacked on the Other Side

While Argentina's path, at least until the semi-finals, is quite clear, the other side of the schedule bracket is extremely cramped, with the likes of France, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium all competing against each other.

The likes of Germany and France are scheduled to square off in the Round of 16 of the tournament, meaning one of the top dogs will be eliminated extremely early. Portugal and Spain are also expected to clash in the Round of 16, meaning one of these teams' journeys will also end early.

For these European heavyweights, the dream of playing in the World Cup final can only be realised by playing football of the absolute top quality. Whilst few major eliminations are expected from the left side of the bracket, the right side is packed with final-worthy battles as early as the Round of 16.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Argentina Brazil Germany England Portugal France Spain Belgium Netherlands 2026 FIFA World Cup Football