Posted July 6, 2026 | By Casey Hickman, HEUG Marketing Manager
đ This is a living post. We are updating it in real time as the World Cup progresses through July. Match results, quarterfinal matchups, and the remaining schedule will be refreshed after each round. Check back as the bracket narrows.
Last updated: July 20, 2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest in tournament history, 48 teams, 104 matches, three host countries, and it turns out HEUG has a rooting interest in more of it than you might expect.
Our community spans 49 countries. Twenty-two of them sent a team to this summer’s tournament. That means nearly half of the HEUG world map had a horse in this race, and when you break it down by region, the reach is remarkable: 7 from the Americas, 7 from Europe, 4 from Asia and the Middle East, 2 from Oceania, and 2 from Africa.
Here is a look at which HEUG countries played, what happened, and who is still alive as July plays out.
The Full HEUG Starting Lineup: All 22 Countries
Source: FIFA Official Team List
The Americas (7)
Canada, Mexico, United States, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay
Europe (7)
England (United Kingdom), Belgium, France, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey
Asia and the Middle East (4)
Iraq, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
Oceania (2)
Australia, New Zealand
Africa (2)
Morocco, South Africa
A few notes worth celebrating here. All three host nations, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, made it out of the group stage, the first time every host has done so in the same tournament. South Africa opened the tournament against Mexico on opening day. Uruguay, one of the original World Cup champions, qualified but was eliminated in the group stage. Iraq made the tournament for the first time since 1986. Turkey, listed under Europe as a UEFA qualifier, and Australia, listed under Oceania, complete the 22-country HEUG contingent. You can explore the full 48-team field on the official FIFA teams page.
The Round of 32: Who Advanced, Who Went Home
The Round of 32 ran June 28 through July 3, and HEUG countries were in action across nearly every match day. Full results available at FIFA Scores and Fixtures.
HEUG Countries That Advanced
Canada, England, Belgium, United States, Spain, Switzerland, Argentina, Colombia, France, Morocco, Brazil
HEUG Countries Eliminated Earlier in the Tournament
Group stage: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, New Zealand, and Uruguay were eliminated before the knockout rounds.
Round of 32: Japan fell to Brazil 2-1. Australia went out on penalties to Egypt.
Round of 16: Canada lost 3-0 to Morocco. Mexico fell to England. USA lost 4-1 to Belgium. Brazil lost 2-1 to Norway.
Quarterfinals: Morocco lost 2-0 to France. Belgium lost 2-1 to Spain. Norway lost 2-1 to England after extra time. Switzerland lost 3-1 to Argentina after extra time. Colombia were knocked out by Switzerland on penalties in the Round of 16.
Notable results: Germany went out to Paraguay on penalties, one of the bigger upsets of the round. Morocco knocked out the Netherlands on penalties in another surprising result. Brazil edged Japan 2-1 before their dramatic Round of 16 exit.
The Round of 16: Drama All Around
The Round of 16 ran July 4 through July 7. Track the full bracket at ESPN’s World Cup Schedule and Bracket.
Morocco 3, Canada 0 â July 4, Houston
Canada’s historic run came to an end at the hands of Morocco, who were dominant. A tough exit for a Canadian side that had made the country proud just by reaching this stage.
France 1, Paraguay 0 â July 4, Philadelphia
France advanced but were far from convincing against a Paraguay side that had already knocked out Germany. France move on to the quarterfinals.
England vs. Mexico â July 5, Mexico City
England advanced past Mexico, ending the co-host’s run on home soil in what was described as one of England’s best wins on foreign soil.
Norway 2, Brazil 1 â July 5, New Jersey
The result of the tournament so far. Brazil fell to Norway and Erling Haaland in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Haaland now has 7 goals in the tournament, more than Messi, Mbappe, and Ronaldo combined at this stage.
Belgium 4, USA 1 â July 6, Seattle
A difficult night for the tournament co-hosts. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and Romelu Lukaku sealed it in stoppage time in a dominant 4-1 Belgium win. Malik Tillman scored a brilliant direct free kick to briefly level the match, but Belgium were the stronger side throughout. The USMNT departs having made real program history: topping Group D, earning their first Round of 16 knockout win since 2002, and scoring the most goals in a single World Cup in program history. Belgium advance to face Spain in the quarterfinals on July 10 in Los Angeles.
Spain 1, Portugal 0 â July 6, Dallas
A tense Iberian derby settled by substitute Mikel Merino in injury time. Spain were the better side throughout, generating nearly three times Portugal’s expected goals, but Diogo Costa kept it goalless until Merino coolly slotted home late. For Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, it was almost certainly his final appearance for Portugal. Spain advance to face Belgium in the quarterfinals on July 10 in Los Angeles.
Argentina 3, Egypt 2 â July 7, Atlanta
One of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history. Egypt took the lead through Yasser Ibrahim’s 15th-minute header, then Messi missed a penalty before Mostafa Zico added a second in the 67th minute. With Argentina two goals down and 11 minutes to play, Messi began writing another chapter: Cristian Romero headed in from Messi’s cross in the 79th minute, Messi rifled in the equalizer in the 83rd, and Enzo Fernandez completed the remarkable turnaround with a stoppage-time winner. Argentina advance to face Switzerland in Kansas City on July 11.
Switzerland 0, Colombia 0 (Switzerland win 4-3 on penalties) â July 7, Vancouver
A tense HEUG vs. HEUG matchup that went the full 120 minutes without a goal despite Colombia having the better of the chances, including Jhon Lucumi hitting the crossbar in extra time. In the penalty shootout, Gregor Kobel saved Cucho Hernandez’s kick before Ruben Vargas stroked home the winner to send Switzerland through. It is Switzerland’s first quarterfinal since they hosted the tournament in 1954. Colombia are eliminated. Switzerland face Argentina in Kansas City on July 11.
The Quarterfinals: Four HEUG Countries, Four Wins
The quarterfinals ran July 9 to 11 and delivered two extra-time thrillers. Every single remaining HEUG country advanced. Full results via FIFA.com and ESPN.
France 2, Morocco 0 â July 9, Foxborough
A rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal and France were again dominant. Morocco, who had knocked out the Netherlands in the Round of 32, could not replicate that magic against a ruthless French side. France advance to face Spain in the semifinal on July 14 in Dallas.
Spain 2, Belgium 1 â July 10, Los Angeles
A HEUG vs. HEUG quarterfinal that Spain edged. Mikel Merino, who scored the injury-time winner against Portugal in the Round of 16, was again among the scorers. Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens made a costly error for the winner. Spain join France in the semifinals.
England 2, Norway 1 (a.e.t.) â July 11, Miami
An extra-time thriller. Norway took the lead through a brilliant Andreas Schjelderup strike, but Jude Bellingham leveled just before halftime. After a goalless second half, Bellingham struck again in extra time to send England through. For Erling Haaland and Norway, one of the tournament’s great stories is over. England face Argentina in Atlanta on July 15.
Argentina 3, Switzerland 1 (a.e.t.) â July 11, Kansas City
Another all-HEUG quarterfinal, another Argentina comeback. Alexis Mac Allister put Argentina ahead in the 10th minute, but Dan Ndoye equalized for Switzerland in the 67th. In extra time, Julian Alvarez produced arguably the goal of the tournament, an unstoppable 25-yard curler in the 112th minute, before Lautaro Martinez sealed it. Switzerland finished with ten men. Argentina face England in Atlanta on July 15.
The Semifinals: HEUG Countries All the Way to the Final
Both semifinals were HEUG vs. HEUG matchups. Both produced late drama. The final on Sunday is HEUG vs. HEUG too.
Spain 2, France 0 â July 14, Dallas
A defensive masterclass from Spain. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a 22nd-minute penalty after Lamine Yamal was fouled in the box by Lucas Digne, and Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the 58th minute with a clinical finish. France, who had the most feared attack left in the tournament, were held to just 0.3 expected goals. Spain have now conceded just one goal across seven matches all tournament. They advance to Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, their first World Cup final since winning in 2010.
Argentina 2, England 1 â July 15, Atlanta
Argentina do it again. Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute, tapping home Morgan Rogers’ cross, and for long stretches it looked like England’s moment. But Enzo Fernandez bent in a brilliant long-range strike in the 85th minute to level, and then Messi, as he so often has this tournament, played the decisive role. He crossed for Lautaro Martinez to head home in the 92nd minute, sending Argentina through. It is the third time in this tournament Argentina have come from behind to win. England’s wait for a second World Cup trophy stretches on past 60 years.
The Final: Spain 1, Argentina 0 (a.e.t.) â July 19, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Spain are the 2026 World Cup champions. A HEUG country wins the trophy.
Spain dominated from first whistle to last, finishing with 20 shots to Argentina’s two, but Emiliano Martinez was extraordinary in goal, keeping La Roja out through 90 minutes with a series of brilliant saves. Argentina’s best chance came in the 5th minute when Messi sprinted onto a Julian Alvarez pass with only Unai Simon to beat, but the Spanish keeper got there first. Argentina lost Enzo Fernandez to a second yellow card just before extra time, and from there Spain looked like the only team who could win it.
The breakthrough came in the 106th minute. Substitute Nico Williams played in substitute Ferran Torres, who rifled home to send the Spanish fans inside MetLife Stadium into delirium. Torres became only the second substitute to score the winning goal in a World Cup final.
For Lionel Messi, 38, it was almost certainly his final World Cup match. He confirmed as much after the final whistle. His tournament produced nine assists and eight goals across the campaign, leaving him equal with Mbappe in the Golden Boot race, with the trophy going to Mbappe on a countback. For Lamine Yamal, 19, it is the start of something. Spain are world champions for the second time. Full match stats at FIFA.com.
Final Tournament Summary: HEUG Countries at the 2026 World Cup
đ Champions: Spain
đ„ Runners-up: Argentina
đ„ Third place: England
Fourth place: France
Every single team on the podium is a HEUG country. The top four finishers at the 2026 World Cup all have HEUG member institutions. Spain, Argentina, England, and France represent member organizations across hundreds of universities and colleges in our community.
Of the 22 HEUG countries that entered the tournament, 16 reached the Round of 32 knockout stage. That is exactly half of the entire 32-team bracket. And the four that made it to the very end are all part of the same professional community that HEUG has been building for decades.
Thank you for following along. It has been quite a ride. Head back to HEUG.org to stay connected with the community year round.
England 6, France 4 â Third Place Match, July 18, Miami
One of the greatest World Cup matches ever played and it was for third place. Declan Rice opened the scoring in the 3rd minute with a screamer from distance, Ezri Konsa headed in a corner in the 18th, and Bukayo Saka added two more before halftime to give England a stunning 4-0 lead at the break. France roared back in the second half. Mbappe scored in the 48th and 66th minutes, with his second moving him past Messi as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history at 22 goals. Barcola and Dembele also found the net to make it 4-4 with minutes remaining, before Saka completed a hat-trick from the penalty spot and Bellingham sealed it with a brilliant solo goal in stoppage time. England finish third. France finish fourth. It was the highest-scoring game at any World Cup since 1982.
Twenty-Two Countries. One Community.
The World Cup is a fun reminder of just how global HEUG really is. Whether your team is still in it or already watching from the couch, the connections you have built through this community do not stop when the final whistle blows.
The 2026 men’s tournament is over, but the beautiful game does not stop here. The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup heads to Brazil next summer, and you can expect HEUG countries to be well represented on that stage too. Until then, the community keeps going, the conversations keep happening, and the connections you have built through HEUG do not pause for the offseason.
Want to connect with HEUG members in your country or region? Search the HEUG Member Directory to find your people.
Sources: FIFA Official World Cup 2026 | ESPN World Cup Schedule | World Cup Wiki
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