All three 2026 World Cup co-hosts crash out before quarter-finals

The United States, Mexico and Canada have all been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the United States suffered a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16 on Monday in Seattle.

 

The result completed a disappointing campaign for the tournament’s three co-hosts, who all reached the knockout stage on home soil but failed to progress to the quarter-finals.

 

Canada were the first to exit after a 3-0 defeat to Morocco on Saturday. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice before Soufiane Rahimi added a late goal to seal victory for the North Africans.

 

Canada’s campaign was also affected by injury concerns surrounding captain Alphonso Davies.

 

Mexico bowed out on Sunday following a 3-2 defeat to England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

 

Jude Bellingham scored twice in quick succession during the first half, while Harry Kane converted a penalty after England had been reduced to 10 men, ending Mexico’s hopes of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since hosting the tournament in 1986.

 

Reports indicate that Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre is expected to be replaced by his assistant, Rafael Márquez.

 

The United States became the last co-host to exit after Belgium secured a convincing 4-1 victory at Lumen Field in Seattle.

 

The match was preceded by controversy over the reinstatement of a red card issued to US forward Folarin Balogun, as well as comments by US President Donald Trump ahead of the encounter.

 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first edition to be jointly hosted by three countries and the first to feature an expanded 48-team format.

 

The tournament, which began on June 11, is being played across 16 cities—11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada—and will conclude with the final on July 19.

 

With the elimination of the three co-hosts, the quarter-final lineup now consists entirely of non-host nations, including Morocco, France, Norway, Spain, Belgium, England, Argentina and the winner of the Egypt versus Switzerland and Colombia fixture.