Australia took the last quarter-final spot on offer despite losing heavily 47-7 to England in Brighton on Saturday (Sunday AEST), while the Americans' 60-0 hammering of Samoa in York wasn't enough for them to overturn their inferior points difference in pool A.
Meanwhile, Fiji won their first ever international against Wales 28-25 in a game that was attended by William, the Prince of Wales and patron of Welsh rugby, at Exeter.
"We put our whole hearts on the line, that's all I can ask for," a dismayed USA captain Kate Zackary reflected after flanker Freda Tafuna had scored four tries in their 10-try romp.
In the quarter-finals, Canada will play Australia after they beat Scotland 40-19 with a third straight bonus-point win.
"I really think we're prepared for the quarter-finals," captain Alex Tessier said.
Underdogs Scotland made Canada miss 27 tackles but the world's No.2 side always found another gear to slip into, especially through their pack who will be tough for the Wallaroos to subdue.
Of Canada's six tries, five were by front-rowers and the penalty try came from a pushover attempt that was illegally collapsed by Scotland. Canada hooker Emily Tuttosi was the player of the match for scoring twice.
Fiji held on in a chaotic thriller in Exeter to earn their second ever World Cup win and extend Wales' longest World Cup losing streak to six matches.
Wales dominated the second half and scored more tries overall — five to four — but failed to land any goalkicks while Fiji's Litiani Vueti converted all four of hers.
Fijiana center Josifini Neihamu starred with two tries on the back of her forwards' power, and secured the victory with a last-minute jackal near her own try-line.
"The steal at the end was more important than my tries because that is for my teammates and for my country," Neihamu said.
The result of the first international between the teams was not just a boon for the Fijiana, who are appearing at only their second World Cup, but also for their coach Ioan Cunningham, who coached Wales from 2021-24 and to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2022.
After the Fiji players tossed him in the air and threw water on him, Cunningham said, "We've got an incredible group of athletes who can really do special things on the field.
"My task has been to get that out of them, get them to express themselves and play with no fear, and we showed that today."
The quarter-final line-up is now complete with England facing Scotland, New Zealand up against France, Ireland playing South Africa and Australia facing Canada.
