Elimination rounds

Knockout rounds 2026

Four knockout rounds from July 4 to July 19 — Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and the Final.

FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout rounds — dates, venues and teams remaining at each stage
RoundDatesMatchesTeamsKey venuesWinner goes to
Round of 32Jul 4 – Jul 71632Multiple US citiesRound of 16
Round of 16Jul 8 – Jul 10816Dallas, Miami, LAQuarter-finals
Quarter-finalsJul 11 – Jul 1248AT&T, MetLife, SoFiSemi-finals
Semi-finalsJul 14 – Jul 1524AT&T, MetLifeFinal
3rd place play-offJul 1812MetLife, NJ—
🏆 FINALJul 19, 202612MetLife, NJCHAMPION
FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout bracket diagram
New in 2026

The Round of 32

FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 — match-up formula
MatchTeam AvsTeam BDate
R32-1Group A winnervsGroup B runner-upJul 4
R32-2Group C winnervsGroup D runner-upJul 4
R32-3Group E winnervsGroup F runner-upJul 5
R32-4Group G winnervsGroup H runner-upJul 5
R32-5Group I winnervsGroup J runner-upJul 6
R32-6Group K winnervsGroup L runner-upJul 6
R32-7 to 16Best 3rd-placed teams (8 matches)Jul 4–7

Why does the Round of 32 exist?

The Round of 32 is a completely new stage created for the 2026 World Cup's expanded 48-team format. In the old 32-team tournament, 16 teams advanced from groups to the Round of 16. Now with 48 teams across 12 groups, the mathematics require an intermediate round. Thirty-two teams qualify from groups (24 group winners/runners-up + 8 best third-placed sides) and they all play single-elimination matches in 16 games over four days. It's essentially the modern equivalent of the old Round of 16, but with 32 teams instead of sixteen.

The Round of 32 runs from July 4 to July 7. July 4th is also US Independence Day — making the first knockout day a major event with full US stadium atmospheres.

FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout schedule — complete guide

The FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage spans 16 days from July 4 to July 19. A total of 32 matches are played across 4 rounds plus the third-place match and final. The knockout stage is entirely hosted in the USA, with MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosting both a semi-final (July 15) and the Final (July 19). The quarter-finals on July 11–12 take place at AT&T Stadium (Dallas), MetLife, SoFi Stadium (LA), and a fourth venue. The semi-finals bring the final four nations to Dallas and New Jersey. For the complete group-stage path to knockouts, see the groups page and the full schedule. See our World Cup 2026 knockout bracket and schedule.

📊 Groups 🏜 Venues 📅 Full Schedule
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