The battle for a place in the FIFA World Cup knockout rounds is heating up as teams enter the decisive stages of the group phase, with qualification hopes and elimination fears beginning to take shape across the tournament.
With the second round of fixtures underway, several nations have already secured their passage to the Round of 32, while others have seen their World Cup dreams come to an early end.
The knockout stage is scheduled to begin on 28 June and run through to 3 July, but before then, teams still have crucial group-stage business to settle.
For South Africa, all eyes are on a high-stakes final Group A clash against South Korea. Bafana Bafana will take to the field at 3am South African time on Thursday, knowing that a positive result could determine whether they remain in the competition.
Under tournament rules, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups automatically qualify for the Round of 32. They will be joined by the eight best third-placed teams, creating a fiercely competitive race for qualification across every group.
Co-hosts Mexico became the first nation to book their place in the knockout rounds after an impressive campaign in Group A. Fellow hosts the United States soon followed, securing qualification from Group D and continuing their strong run on home soil.
European giants Germany also confirmed their place in the next round after edging Ivory Coast 2-1 in a tightly contested Group F encounter. The four-time world champions once again demonstrated their tournament pedigree as they moved one step closer to another deep World Cup run.
While some nations are celebrating progression, others have been left disappointed.
Haiti became the first team eliminated from the tournament after failing to secure enough points to remain in contention. Türkiye were the next side to exit following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Paraguay, despite their hopes of extending their stay in the competition.
Tunisia also saw their World Cup campaign come to an abrupt end after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat against Japan, becoming the third nation officially eliminated from the tournament.
As the final group-stage fixtures approach, qualification scenarios remain open across several groups, setting the stage for dramatic finishes and high-pressure encounters.
For Bafana Bafana, the equation is simple: deliver against South Korea or risk seeing their World Cup journey come to an end before the knockout rounds begin.