2026 World Cup Round of 16: Updated Schedule and Results

2026 World Cup Round of 16 Bracket and Schedule

The World Cup field has been trimmed from 48 teams to 16. After 32 teams advanced from the group stage into the first knockout round, half were eliminated, setting the stage for intense matches in the Round of 16. Many top contenders remain, though there have already been shocks, such as Germany's exit at the hands of Paraguay and the Netherlands being knocked out early. Will more surprises unfold, or will the favorites claim their spots in the quarterfinals?

Round of 16 Matchups and Dates

The pairings were fixed ahead of time, filled by teams progressing from the Round of 32.

Bracket Breakdown

The bracket splits into two halves, each leading to one finalist.

• One side includes Paraguay (Group D third place, who ousted Germany), France (Group I winner), Canada (Group B runner-up), Morocco (Group C runner-up), Portugal (Group K runner-up), Spain (Group H winner), United States (Group D winner), and Belgium (Group G winner).
• The other side features Mexico (Group A winner), Switzerland (Group B winner), Brazil (Group C winner), Colombia (Group K winner), Egypt (Group G runner-up), Argentina (Group J winner), Norway (Group I runner-up), and England (Group L winner).

How Teams Advanced to This Stage

Canada was the first to clinch a spot in the Round of 16 by beating South Africa 1-0 in the initial Round of 32 match. The last team to qualify for this round was Colombia, edging out Ghana 1-0 on July 3. Other notable Round of 32 results include Paraguay eliminating Germany on penalties and Morocco doing the same to the Netherlands.

Knockout Round Rules

The Round of 16 marks the second knockout stage, moving away from group points to direct elimination. Each match must produce a winner. If tied after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time follows. Should the deadlock continue, the winner is decided by a penalty shootout with five kicks per team initially. If still tied, sudden death kicks follow until one side misses and the other scores.

Advancement Through the Tournament

Starting with 48 teams split into 14 groups of four, the group stage uses a round-robin format. Teams earn three points per win, one for a draw, none for a loss. Ties in points are broken by goal difference and goals scored. The top two teams from each group plus the eight best third-place teams advance to the Round of 32.

The knockout rounds progress through single-elimination matches: Round of 32, Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. A third-place playoff is played between the losing semifinalists.