World Cup teams to qualify for Round of 16: Updated 2026 knockout bracket, schedule and fixtures

The knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup are underway.

There were some surprise results and wonderful underdog stories during the group phase, but all of the big guns have made it through.

The likes of France, Spain, Brazil, England, Portugal and reigning champions Argentina are now all plotting their path to the final, while the likes of Cape Verde, DR Congo and Bosnia & Herzegovina all have the chance to write at least one more memorable chapter in their national soccer stories.

Here's a live look at how the Round of 16 is shaping up.

2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets

World Cup bracket 2026

SN

World Cup teams in Round of 16

Canada

Jesse Marsch's side had the better of a tense encounter with South Africa but the deadlock remained intact as stoppage time rolled around. To avert extra time, Stephen Eustaquio seized upon a loose ball at the end of the area and steered on an unerring shot into the bottom left corner of Ronwen Williams' net. It is a moment that Canadian soccer will never forget.

Brazil

The Selecao were outplayed by Japan during the first half against Japan, who led through Kaishu Sano's excellent opener. But veteran midfielder headed Brazil level and the Blue Samurai were eventually blunted by waves of pressure. Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score a 95th-minute winner.

Paraguay

While many soccer fans counted Paraguay out in their Round of 32 match against Germany, La Albirroja pulled a shocker out of their hat and downed the Europeans 4-3 in a penalty shootout. Paraguay's goalkeeper, Orlando Gill, saved two penalties before Jonathan Tah skied one over Gill's crossbar.

Morocco

Coming off the heels of Paraguay's win in penalties over Germany, Morocco won its own match in a penalty shootout, handing the Netherlands a devastating loss. Issa Diop scored in the final minutes of stoppage time to force extra time for the Atlas Lions, and then it was Ismael Sabari who was the hero for Morocco.

Norway

Soccer fans, if they hadn't been watching European soccer this season, have learned through volume that Erling Haaland scores goals. While their Round of 32 match against the Ivory Coast was tied, it was the Manchester City forward who scored the game-winning goal for his country of Norway. They won their first-ever knockout stage match with a 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast.

France

The 2022 finalist and 2018 champion showed little adversity en route to a convincing 3-0 Round of 32 victory against Sweden. Kylian Mbappe showed why he is one of the, if not the best, forwards in the world with a two-goal outing. Les Bleus will play against Paraguay in the Round of 16.

Mexico

Mexico dazzled the crowd at Azteca on Tuesday night, punching its ticket to the Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Colombia. Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez were the two goal scorers for El Tri, who recorded a clean sheet for the fourth consecutive game. Mexico will now face England at Azteca in the Round of 16. 

England

It was far from pretty, but England advanced to the Round of 16 with a 2-1 win over DR Congo. After falling behind 1-0 in the first half, Harry Kane singlehandedly lifted the Three Lions to a victory with two second-half goals. England moves on to face Mexico in the next round.

Belgium

Belgium looked unlikely to claim a spot in the Round of 16 with five minutes left in regulation, falling behind by two goals. Then, Romelu Lukaku struck. That set the stage for a 3-2 comeback win for Rudi Garcia's side. Belgium will take on the winner of USA-Bosnia and Herzegovina in the next round. 

United States

The United States skated past Bosnia and Herzegovina to punch a ticket to the Round of 16 and a matchup with Belgium. Star American striker Folarin Balogun was issued a red card in the match, however, and will be forced to miss USA’s next match.

Spain

Spain delivered a masterclass against Austria, defeating Ralf Rangnick's side 3-0 in Los Angeles without facing a shot on target. It was a statement performance in which Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice, with Pedro Porro also on the scoresheet. Next up will be Portugal or Croatia.

Portugal

Portugal defeated Croatia in the Round of 16 thanks in part to a penalty kick from Cristiano Ronaldo and a late offside ruling that went against the Croatians, negating a goal. Portugal will take on Spain in the Round of 16.

Switzerland

Switzerland cruised into the Round of 16 with a relatively uneventful victory over Algeria in Vancouver. Led by 20-year-old Johan Manzambi, the Swiss have arrived in the round with little fanfare but should be treated as a dark horse candidate to push their way into the quarterfinals.

Egypt

Egyptian legend Mo Salah helped his nation win its first-ever World Cup knockout game. Egypt dispatched Australia in penalty kicks, as Salah converted his kick to help seal the win. A team that arrived in America with low expectations is now loose in the Round of 16.

Argentina

Lionel Messi and company survived an extra-time thriller against Cape Verde to punch their ticket to the Round of 16. After barely fending off the biggest upset in World Cup history, Argentina will do battle with Egypt with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.

Colombia

• Printable World Cup bracket
• Expert World Cup Round of 32 predictions
• Ranking remaining World Cup teams 1-32
• 3 sleepers to watch in World Cup knockouts
• Best teams out of the World Cup knockouts

How does the World Cup bracket work?

The Round of 16 is the second stage of what are commonly known as the knockout rounds because every match is single elimination from here on out.

There are no points earned. There are no standings. There's simply a winner and a loser.

What happens if knockout matches finish tied?

There has to be a winner on the day for each Round of 16 match and for subsequent knockout-round matches (quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place match, final). So if teams are tied after 90 minutes of regulation, the match goes into a 30-minute period of extra time. 

If the deadlock persists after those 30 minutes of extra time, then a penalty shootout will determine the team that moves on to the quarterfinals.

The Round of 16 pairings are established in line with the bracket that was set at the end of the group stage. From the Round of 32 onwards, every team knows their potential path to the final.

MORE: Teams eliminated from World Cup

World Cup 2026 live schedule for knockout stage

Round of 32

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Third-place

Final