New York, July 4, 2026: The FIFA World Cup 2026 has entered the Round of 16 stage, with the final 16 teams locked in after the completion of the Round of 32. The knockout bracket now features a mix of title favourites, dark horses and a few surprise packages as the race to the quarter-finals gets under way. France, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal and England remain in contention, while Paraguay, Morocco, Norway and Egypt have also kept their campaigns alive after impressive results in the previous round.
The Round of 32 produced several notable exits and tight contests. Paraguay stunned Germany on penalties after a 1-1 draw, Morocco edged the Netherlands in a shootout, and Egypt overcame Australia on penalties to book a place in the last 16. Elsewhere, Brazil beat Japan 2-1, France cruised past Sweden 3-0, Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0, England overcame DR Congo 2-1, and Argentina survived a thriller against Cape Verde to progress.
Round of 16 fixtures
Canada vs Morocco and Paraguay vs France open the Round of 16 on July 4. On July 5, Brazil face Norway while Mexico meet England in one of the headline clashes of the stage. July 6 will feature Portugal vs Spain and USA vs Belgium, before the last two ties on July 7 see Argentina take on Egypt and Switzerland face Colombia.
With the tournament now in straight knockout mode, every match is effectively a final. The winners of the Round of 16 ties will move into the quarter-finals scheduled from July 9 to July 11, with the World Cup final set for July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
