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2026 World Cup Round of 16: Schedule, Matchups, and Results

The World Cup has narrowed down from 48 teams to just 16. After the group stage, 32 teams advanced to the first knockout round, but half have now been eliminated. The Round of 16 marks the start of the high-stakes matches where surprises might still unfold.

Many pre-tournament favorites remain, though Germany was unexpectedly knocked out by Paraguay in the Round of 32, and the Netherlands also exited early. Will more upsets happen or will the big names reach the quarterfinals?

Round of 16 Matchups and Schedule

The Round of 16 pairings were set before the tournament and filled based on Round of 32 results. Here are the matchups and outcomes so far:

Bracket Breakdown

The bracket splits into two halves, each producing a finalist. One side includes:

  • Paraguay (Group D third place; eliminated Germany)
  • France (Group I winner)
  • Canada (Group B runner-up)
  • Morocco (Group C runner-up; eliminated Netherlands)
  • Portugal (Group K runner-up)
  • Spain (Group H winner)
  • United States (Group D winner)
  • Belgium (Group G winner)

The other half 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)
  • England (Group L winner)

Path to the Round of 16

Canada was the first team to reach the Round of 16 after a 1-0 win over South Africa in the opening Round of 32 match. The rest qualified by winning their respective knockout games, finishing with Colombia's 1-0 victory against Ghana on July 3.

Knockout Stage Format

The Round of 16 is the second knockout round. Matches here and onwards use a single-elimination format, meaning one team moves forward and the other goes home. There are no draws or points.

If a match ends tied after 90 minutes, it proceeds to 30 minutes of extra time. If still level, a penalty shootout decides the winner. Each side takes five penalty kicks; if tied after those, sudden death kicks follow until one team outscores the other.

How Teams Make It to This Stage

The 48 teams qualified through regional competitions and were divided into 14 groups of four during the group stage. Each team played three matches against group opponents. Wins earned three points, draws one, losses none. Goal difference and goals scored served as tiebreakers.

The top two teams from each group, plus the eight best third-place teams, advanced to the Round of 32. From there, winners moved on to the Round of 16, then quarters, semis, and finally the championship match. The losing semifinalists compete for third place.

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