The 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially entered the knockout stage.
After weeks of group-stage action across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the Round of 32 bracket is complete. From this point forward, every soccer match is single elimination as teams compete for a place in the Round of 16 and continue their pursuit of the World Cup title.
All three host nations advanced to the knockout stage. The United States, Mexico, and Canada each earned a place in the Round of 32, although Mexico drew one of the tournament’s toughest opponents in Ecuador.
The bracket also produced several marquee matchups, including a potential Round of 16 meeting between France and Germany if both teams advance.
Meanwhile, defending champion Argentina appears to have a favorable path after drawing Cape Verde in the opening knockout round, with a possible meeting against the winner of the Australia-Egypt match.
Round of 32 Schedule Opens With Canada Against South Africa
The knockout stage begins June 28 when Canada faces South Africa at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The complete Round of 32 schedule includes:
June 28
• South Africa vs. Canada
June 29
• Germany vs. Paraguay
• Netherlands vs. Morocco
• Brazil vs. Japan
June 30
• Ivory Coast vs. Norway
• Mexico vs. Ecuador
• France vs. Sweden
July 1
• United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Belgium vs. Senegal
• England vs. DR Congo
July 2
• Portugal vs. Croatia
• Spain vs. Austria
• Switzerland vs. Algeria
July 3
• Argentina vs. Cape Verde
• Australia vs. Egypt
• Colombia vs. Ghana
The winners advance to the Round of 16, which begins July 4.
The United States, Mexico, and Canada All Advance to the Knockout Bracket
The three host countries each survived the group stage, though they reached the knockout round in different ways.
The United States won Group D to earn a matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina after finishing atop a group that also featured Australia, Paraguay, and Türkiye.
Canada finished second in Group B behind Switzerland and now opens the knockout stage against South Africa.
Mexico completed a perfect group stage, winning all three matches to claim first place in Group A. Its reward is a difficult Round of 32 meeting with Ecuador, which advanced as one of the tournament’s best third-place teams after upsetting Germany in the group finale.
Other group winners included Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, Argentina, Colombia, and England.
Several third-place teams also advanced under the expanded World Cup format, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Paraguay, Ecuador, Sweden, Senegal, Algeria, DR Congo and Ghana.
France, Germany, and Argentina Headline the 2026 World Cup Knockout Bracket
Several tournament favorites now face challenging paths through the bracket.
France begins the knockout stage against Sweden, while Germany takes on Paraguay. If both teams advance, they will meet in one of the Round of 16’s biggest matches.
Brazil opens against Japan before a possible meeting with either Ivory Coast or Norway.
England faces DR Congo, while Portugal meets Croatia in another marquee European showdown.
Argentina opens against surprise qualifier Cape Verde and could meet Australia or Egypt in the Round of 16.
The United States would face either Belgium or Senegal if it defeats Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Full Knockout Schedule Already Includes Quarterfinals and Final
The tournament schedule has also been finalized through the championship match.
The Round of 16 will be played from July 4 through July 7, followed by the quarterfinals from July 9 through July 11.
The semifinals are scheduled for July 14 in Arlington, Texas, and July 15 in Atlanta.
The third-place match will take place on July 18 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup champion will be crowned on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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