Morocco and France became the first teams to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, while today Brazil faces Norway in a bid to secure its spot in that round, and Mexico, playing at home in Mexico City, will look to pull off an upset against England.
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 room 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:
- Overtime: 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 the score is still tied after those five attempts, the shootout will proceed 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.)
Bracket Standings as of July 5 and Remaining Round of 16 Matches
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 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 following the intense Round of 16 and the first matches of the Round of 16
✅ Teams Qualified for the Quarterfinals:
- France
- Morocco
❌ Teams Eliminated:
- Germany
- Algeria
- Australia
- Austria
- Ivory Coast
- Croatia
- Ecuador
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Sweden
- Cape Verde
- Ghana
- Paraguay
- Canada
