Football World Cup 2026
Knock-outfase
Knockout Stage Fixtures
In the knockout stage, the winner of each match advances to the next round, while the losing team is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Following the group stage, the competition continues with the Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarter-finals and Semi-finals. The losing teams from the Semi-finals then compete in the Third-Place Play-off, before the two finalists meet in the World Cup Final to battle for the world title.
Round of 32 Matches
Sun, 28 June 2026 at 21:00 (CEST) in Inglewood, #73:
South Africa 0:1 Canada
Mon, 29 June 2026 at 19:00 (CEST) in Houston, #76:
Brazil 2:1 Japan
Mon, 29 June 2026 at 22:30 (CEST) in Foxborough, #74:
Germany 1:1 (3:4) P Paraguay
Tue, 30 June 2026 at 03:00 (CEST) in Guadalupe, #75:
Netherlands 1:1 (2:3) P Morocco
Tue, 30 June 2026 at 19:00 (CEST) in Arlington, #78:
Ivory Coast 1:2 Norway
Tue, 30 June 2026 at 23:00 (CEST) in East Rutherford, #77:
France 3:0 Sweden
Wed, 1 July 2026 at 03:00 (CEST) in Mexico-Stad, #79:
Mexico 2:0 Ecuador
Wed, 1 July 2026 at 18:00 (CEST) in Atlanta, #80:
England 2:1 DR Congo
Wed, 1 July 2026 at 22:00 (CEST) in Seattle, #82:
Belgium 3:2 AET Senegal
Thu, 2 July 2026 at 02:00 (CEST) in Santa Clara, #81:
United States 2:0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Thu, 2 July 2026 at 21:00 (CEST) in Inglewood, #84:
Spain 3:0 Austria
Fri, 3 July 2026 at 01:00 (CEST) in Toronto, #83:
Portugal 2:1 Croatia
Fri, 3 July 2026 at 05:00 (CEST) in Vancouver, #85:
Switzerland 2:0 Algeria
Fri, 3 July 2026 at 20:00 (CEST) in Arlington, #88:
Australia 1:1 (2:4) P Egypt
Sat, 4 July 2026 at 00:00 (CEST) in Miami Gardens, #86:
Argentina 3:2 AET Cape Verde
Sat, 4 July 2026 at 03:30 (CEST) in Kansas City, #87:
Colombia 1:0 Ghana
Round of 16
Sat, 4 July 2026 at 19:00 (CEST) in Houston, #90:
Canada 0:3 Morocco
Sat, 4 July 2026 at 23:00 (CEST) in Philadelphia, #89:
Paraguay 0:1 France
Sun, 5 July 2026 at 22:00 (CEST) in East Rutherford, #91:
Brazil 1:2 Norway
Mon, 6 July 2026 at 02:00 (CEST) in Mexico-Stad, #92:
Mexico 2:3 England
Mon, 6 July 2026 at 21:00 (CEST) in Arlington, #93:
Portugal 0:1 Spain
Tue, 7 July 2026 at 02:00 (CEST) in Seattle, #94:
United States 1:4 Belgium
Tue, 7 July 2026 at 18:00 (CEST) in Atlanta, #95:
Argentina 3:2 Egypt
Tue, 7 July 2026 at 22:00 (CEST) in Vancouver, #96:
Switzerland 0:0 (4:3) P Colombia
Quarter-finals
Thu, 9 July 2026 at 22:00 (CEST) in Foxborough, #97:
France 2:0 Morocco
Fri, 10 July 2026 at 21:00 (CEST) in Inglewood, #98:
Spain 2:1 Belgium
Sat, 11 July 2026 at 23:00 (CEST) in Miami Gardens, #99:
Norway 1:2 AET England
Sun, 12 July 2026 at 03:00 (CEST) in Kansas City, #100:
Argentina 3:1 AET Switzerland
Semi-finals
Tue, 14 July 2026 at 21:00 (CEST) in Arlington, #101:
France - Spain
Wed, 15 July 2026 at 21:00 (CEST) in Atlanta, #102:
England - Argentina
Third-place match
Sat, 18 July 2026 at 23:00 (CEST) in Miami Gardens, #103:
Loser 101 - Loser 102
Final
Sun, 19 July 2026 at 21:00 (CEST) in East Rutherford, #104:
winner 101 - winner 102
P = after penalties
AET = after extra time
Overview
| Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 73 28.06.26, 21:00 CEST Inglewood South Africa 0:1 Canada |
Match 90 04.07.26, 19:00 CEST Houston Canada 0:3 Morocco |
Match 97 09.07.26, 22:00 CEST Foxborough France 2:0 Morocco |
Match 101 14.07.26, 21:00 CEST Arlington France - Spain |
Match 104 19.07.26, 21:00 CEST East Rutherford winner 101 - winner 102 |
| Match 75 30.06.26, 03:00 CEST Guadalupe Netherlands 1:1 (2:3) P Morocco |
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| Match 74 29.06.26, 22:30 CEST Foxborough Germany 1:1 (3:4) P Paraguay |
Match 89 04.07.26, 23:00 CEST Philadelphia Paraguay 0:1 France |
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| Match 77 30.06.26, 23:00 CEST East Rutherford France 3:0 Sweden |
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| Match 83 03.07.26, 01:00 CEST Toronto Portugal 2:1 Croatia |
Match 93 06.07.26, 21:00 CEST Arlington Portugal 0:1 Spain |
Match 98 10.07.26, 21:00 CEST Inglewood Spain 2:1 Belgium |
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| Match 84 02.07.26, 21:00 CEST Inglewood Spain 3:0 Austria |
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| Match 81 02.07.26, 02:00 CEST Santa Clara United States 2:0 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Match 94 07.07.26, 02:00 CEST Seattle United States 1:4 Belgium |
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| Match 82 01.07.26, 22:00 CEST Seattle Belgium 3:2 AET Senegal |
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| Match 76 29.06.26, 19:00 CEST Houston Brazil 2:1 Japan |
Match 91 05.07.26, 22:00 CEST East Rutherford Brazil 1:2 Norway |
Match 99 11.07.26, 23:00 CEST Miami Gardens Norway 1:2 AET England |
Match 102 15.07.26, 21:00 CEST Atlanta England - Argentina |
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| Match 78 30.06.26, 19:00 CEST Arlington Ivory Coast 1:2 Norway |
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| Match 79 01.07.26, 03:00 CEST Mexico City Mexico 2:0 Ecuador |
Match 92 06.07.26, 02:00 CEST Mexico City Mexico 2:3 England |
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| Match 80 01.07.26, 18:00 CEST Atlanta England 2:1 DR Congo |
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| Match 86 04.07.26, 00:00 CEST Miami Gardens Argentina 3:2 AET Cape Verde |
Match 95 07.07.26, 18:00 CEST Atlanta Argentina 3:2 Egypt |
Match 100 12.07.26, 03:00 CEST Kansas City Argentina 3:1 AET Switzerland |
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| Match 88 03.07.26, 20:00 CEST Arlington Australia 1:1 (2:4) P Egypt |
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| Match 85 03.07.26, 05:00 CEST Vancouver Switzerland 2:0 Algeria |
Match 96 07.07.26, 22:00 CEST Vancouver Switzerland 0:0 (4:3) P Colombia |
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| Match 87 04.07.26, 03:30 CEST Kansas City Colombia 1:0 Ghana |
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| Third place | |
|---|---|
| Match 103 18.07.26, 23:00 CEST Miami Gardens Loser 101 - Loser 102 |
-:- |
P = after penalties
AET = after extra time
Football World Cup 2026
Qualification for the Knockout Stage
Qualification Through 1st and 2nd Place in the Group Stage
At the conclusion of the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it becomes clear which nations have secured direct qualification for the knockout stage. The teams finishing first and second in Groups A through L automatically advance to the final tournament.
A total of 24 teams qualify directly for the knockout stage in this way. In addition, the eight best third-placed teams also progress to the final tournament. As a result, 32 nations will ultimately compete in the Round of 32.
The qualified teams will be listed in the overview below once the group stage has been completed:
| Group | 1st position | 2nd position |
|---|---|---|
| A | Mexico | South Africa |
| B | Switzerland | Canada |
| C | Brazil | Morocco |
| D | United States | Australia |
| E | Germany | Ivory Coast |
| F | Netherlands | Japan |
| G | Belgium | Egypt |
| H | Spain | Cape Verde |
| I | France | Norway |
| J | Argentina | Austria |
| K | Colombia | Portugal |
| L | England | Croatia |
These teams will have secured their place in the final tournament and will continue their quest for the world title in the knockout stage. The eight best third-placed teams will also receive a ticket to the Round of 32 and keep their World Cup dream alive.
Ranking of the third-placed teams from the group stage
| Pos | Grp | Team | Matches | Wins | Draw | Loss | Goals | Goal Diff. | Points | FP | WRL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K | DR Congo | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4:3 | +1 | 4 | -5 | 46 |
| 2 | F | Sweden | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7:7 | 0 | 4 | -5 | 38 |
| 3 | L | Ghana | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2:2 | 0 | 4 | -3 | 73 |
| 4 | E | Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2:2 | 0 | 4 | -5 | 23 |
| 5 | B | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5:6 | -1 | 4 | -10 | 64 |
| 6 | J | Algeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5:7 | -2 | 4 | -1 | 28 |
| 7 | D | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2:4 | -2 | 4 | -12 | 41 |
| 8 | I | Senegal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8:6 | +2 | 3 | -2 | 15 |
| 9 | G | Iran | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3:3 | 0 | 3 | -6 | 20 |
| 10 | A | South Korea | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2:3 | -1 | 3 | -4 | 25 |
| 11 | C | Scotland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1:4 | -3 | 3 | -5 | 42 |
| 12 | H | Uruguay | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3:4 | -1 | 2 | -9 | 16 |
The eight best third-placed teams from the group stage qualify for the Round of 32. The ranking is determined by the following criteria in descending order:
- Number of points from all group matches
- Goal difference from all group matches
- Number of goals scored in all group matches
- Fair play ranking of players and officials based on yellow and red cards received in all group matches
- If teams are still tied across all criteria: the latest published FIFA World Ranking