It’s kill or be killed at the World Cup. The Round of 32 is about to wrap up, and the teams are fighting tooth and nail for the last remaining spots in the next round of the tournament.
Heart-stopping matches and extra time decisions have already delivered major surprises, sending home historic powerhouses like Germany and the Netherlands. On the other hand, the three host nations—Mexico, Canada, and the United States—have capitalized on their home-field advantage and secured their spots in the coveted Round of 16.
And this phase has shown us that there are no easy opponents: Argentina struggled and had to go through a dramatic 120 minutes to beat Cape Verde, the tournament’s surprise team, 3-2.
Below, we present the complete picture of the tournament: who’s still in the running for the trophy and how the next phase will play out.
How does the knockout round work?
From the round of 16 through the grand final scheduled for July 19, there is no margin for error: teams must win every match to continue their journey toward the championship. Whoever loses is out.
Unlike the group stage, draws are no longer an option. If a match ends in a tie after 90 minutes of regulation time, the outcome will be decided as follows:
- Extra Time: Two 15-minute overtime periods will be played.
- Penalty shootout: If the score remains tied, the match will be decided by penalty kicks. The teams will take turns taking five penalty kicks each; if they are still tied after those five attempts, the match will go to “sudden death” until one team scores and the other misses. (It’s worth noting that the epic 2022 final between Argentina and France was decided precisely this way.)
Schedule and Bracket for the Round of 16
The stage is set for the Round of 16, with matchups that promise to be explosive. Here’s how the next round will play out:
July 4
- Canada vs. Morocco — Houston, TX (1:00 p.m. ET)
- Paraguay vs. France — Philadelphia, PA (5:00 p.m. ET)
July 5
- Brazil vs. Norway — New York, NY (4:00 p.m. ET)
- Mexico vs. England — Mexico City (8:00 p.m. ET)
July 6
- Spain vs. Portugal — Dallas, TX (3:00 p.m. ET)
- United States vs. Belgium — Seattle, WA (8:00 p.m. ET)
July 7
- Egypt vs. Argentina — Atlanta, GA (12:00 p.m. ET)
- Switzerland vs. Colombia — Vancouver, BC (4:00 p.m. ET)
The Standings So Far: Qualified and Eliminated
The cut has been brutal, and several teams have already said goodbye to their World Cup dreams after the intense round of 16.
✅ Teams Qualified for the Round of 16:
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- Egypt
- Spain
- United States
- France
- England
- Morocco
- Mexico
- Norway
- Paraguay
- Portugal
- Switzerland
- Argentina
- Colombia
❌ Eliminated Teams:
- Germany
- Algeria
- Australia
- Austria
- Ivory Coast
- Croatia
- Ecuador
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Sweden
- Cape Verde
- Ghana
