2026 World Cup Bracket: A Full Look At The Round Of 16 Matchups

2026 World Cup Bracket: A Full Look At The Round Of 16 Matchups
2026 World Cup Bracket: A Full Look At The Round Of 16 Matchups

The round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is complete, and we now know what the round of 16 will look like. 

As the biggest World Cup ever continues, the round of 16 will commence on Saturday, with France being among the teams starring that day’s action. The USA, Argentina and Spain are among the nations who also made the round of 16, as we’ll have two matches per day from July 4-7.

So, with all 16 tickets being punched into the next round, here is what the round of 16 looks like: 

Saturday, July 4

Houston Stadium (1 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)

The first matchup of the round of 16 is set.

Morocco defeated the Netherlands in penalty kicks on Monday night, advancing to the round of 16 for the second time in as many World Cups. It’s also the third World Cup that Morocco has reached the round of 16.

Canada became the first team to punch its ticket into the round of 16 with its dramatic victory over South Africa on Sunday. It marked Canada’s first knockout stage win as it’ll play in the round of 16 for the first time ever.

Morocco was ranked seventh in the most recent World Cup rankings, while Canada was ranked 30th.

Netherlands vs Morocco Highlights 🌎🏆 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 32

Philadelphia Stadium (5 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)

Paraguay upset Germany in the round of 32, defeating Germany in penalty kicks. It’s the first time since 2010 that Paraguay has advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup. Paraguay didn’t qualify in each of the last three World Cups, either. 

France, meanwhile, defeated Sweden 3-0 on Tuesday. For France, it is looking to reach the final for the third straight World Cup as it has also made the quarterfinals in each of the last four World Cups. 

Germany vs Paraguay Highlights 🌎🏆 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 32

Sunday, July 5 

New York New Jersey Stadium (4 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)

Brazil became the second team to punch its ticket into the round of 16 with its comeback win over Japan on Monday. In the final minutes of stoppage time, Gabriel Martinelli scored the game-winning goal to give his side a 2-1 victory. It marks the 11th straight World Cup that Brazil has reached the round of 16. 

Norway took down Ivory Coast 2-1 off the heels of a late Erling Haaland goal to set up an epic showdown between Norway’s talented goalscorer and the dynamic presence that is Vinícius Júnior.

Brazil vs Japan Highlights 🌎🏆 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 32

Mexico City Stadium (8 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)

Mexico won its first knockout stage match since 1986, 2-0, over Ecuador to book a spot in the round of 16. It’ll also get to remain at Mexico City Stadium, playing the final match in Mexico in this World Cup.

England, meanwhile, defeated DR Congo in dramatic fashion on Wednesday. Harry Kane scored two goals in the second half, completing the brace to help England get a comeback 2-1 victory. It’s the eighth straight World Cup that England has reached the round of 16. 

Both Mexico and England were ranked in the top 16 of the latest FIFA rankings. Mexico was placed 14th, and England was ranked fourth. 

Mexico’s HOT START 🔥 Julián Quiñones & Raúl Jiménez Score Two Goals In First Half vs Ecuador

Monday, July 6

Dallas Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)

Spain is back in the round of 16 at the World Cup. It defeated Austria, 3-0, on Thursday as it had its most dominant performance yet in this tournament. This marks Spain’s third straight appearance in the round of 16. However, it hasn’t made it to the quarterfinals at the World Cup since it won it all in 2010. 

Portugal is also back in the round of 16 at the World Cup for the third straight tournament. It defeated Croatia, 2-1, on Thursday, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his first goal in the knockout stage of the World Cup on a penalty kick in the second half. Gonçalo Ramos scored the game-winning goal on a header four minutes into stoppage time. 

The round of 16 match will feature two teams who were ranked in the top five of the final FIFA rankings ahead of the World Cup. Spain was ranked second, and Portugal was ranked fifth.

Seattle Stadium (8 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)

The USA is onto the round of 16, and it’ll face an opponent it went up against in the same round 12 years ago. After defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, the USA will face Belgium. It marks the second straight World Cup that the USA has made the round of 16, as it won its first knockout stage game in 24 years on Wednesday. 

Belgium defeated Senegal in extra time on Wednesday, coming back from two goals in the final minutes of regulation to force the extra 30 minutes. In extra time, Belgium was awarded a penalty kick following a VAR review that led to the game-winning goal. It marks the third time in the last four World Cups that Belgium has advanced to the round of 16, as its golden generation seeks to make one last deep World Cup run. 

The USA faced Belgium in one of its final friendlies prior to the World Cup, and it didn’t end well for the Americans. Belgium won that match 5-2. The two nations also faced each other in the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup, with Belgium winning that match in extra time.

Tuesday, July 7

Atlanta Stadium (Noon ET, FOX, FOX One)

It took a bit more time than Argentina would’ve liked, but the defending champions moved on to the round of 16 following its victory over Cape Verde on Friday. Argentina defeated Cape Verde, 3-2, in extra time, narrowly avoiding arguably the biggest upset in World Cup history. It marks the 11th straight World Cup that Argentina has made the round of 16.

As for Argentina’s opponent, meanwhile, Egypt secured its first advancement in the knockout stage ever at the World Cup. It took down Australia in penalty kicks on Friday, advancing to the round of 16 for the first time since 1934. This is only the fourth time Egypt has played at the World Cup. 

Argentina vs Cape Verde Extended Highlights 🌎🏆 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 32

Vancouver Stadium (4 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)

Switzerland is into the round of 16 for the fourth straight World Cup. It defeated Algeria, 2-0, on Thursday, becoming the seventh UEFA team to advance to the second round of the knockout stage. While Switzerland has been to the round of 16 in each of the last three World Cups, it hasn’t been to the quarterfinals since 1954. 

As for Colombia, it’s back in the round of 16 after missing the World Cup in 2022. Colombia defeated Ghana 1-0 on Friday, winning the last match in the round of 16. It’s the third time that Colombia has made the round of 16 over the last four World Cups, advancing to the quarterfinals in 2014. 

The Colombia-Switzerland match will be a matchup between two top 20 teams. Colombia was ranked 13th in the most recent FIFA ranking, while Switzerland was placed 19th.  

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *