The World Cup group stage—all 72 games was it—provided plenty of thrills, spills and excitement, but nothing stands still for long. It’s now all about the knockout phase.
This summer is the first time we’ve ever seen a round of 32 at the World Cup, adding one extra layer of knockout fixtures for aspiring champions to navigate. Over the next week, 32 teams will become 16 as tensions really start to rise.
Every Team Guaranteed a Place in 2026 World Cup Round of 16
- Canada
Canada became the first nation to advance to the next round of this summer’s tournament, fighting to a scrappy 1–0 win over South Africa to continue its first ever spell in the knockout stages of a World Cup.
Jesse Marsch’s side will learn its opponent on Monday when the Netherlands takes on Morocco.
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When Does the Round of 16 Begin?
This summer’s celebrations are only going to get bigger when the round of 16 gets underway on July 4, just hours after the round of 32 concludes.
Eight games will be evenly spread out over four days, coming to a conclusion on July 7. We’ll then get our first break as there are no games scheduled for July 8 to give every team enough of a break before the quarterfinals get underway.
2026 World Cup Knockout Schedule
| Phase | Dates |
|---|---|
| Round of 16 | July 4–7 |
| Quarterfinals | July 9–11 |
| Semifinals | July 14–15 |
| Final | July 19 |
Where Will the Round of 16 Games Be Played?
Each of the eight games will be held in a different venue across the round of 16.
Of those ties, six will be in the United States, with co-hosts Canada and Mexico each being awarded one fixture in Vancouver and Mexico City, respectively.
In the U.S., matches are scheduled for Houston, Philadelphia, East Rutherford, Arlington, Seattle and Atlanta.
