The FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage is beginning to take shape. The round of 32 starts on June 28 and runs until July 3. This is the first time the tournament will feature a round of 32, as the World Cup has expanded from 32 to 48 teams.
World Cup Knockout Format
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups will move on. Additionally, the eight best third-place teams will also qualify for the knockouts.
The tournament then proceeds to the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and a playoff for third place. The final match is scheduled for July 19.
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Start Your News DetoxHere is the schedule breakdown:
- Group stage: June 11 to June 27
- Round of 32: June 28 to July 3
- Round of 16: July 4-7
- Quarterfinals: July 9-11
- Semifinals: July 14-15
- Bronze medal match: July 18
- Final: July 19
New Tie-Breaker Rules
FIFA has introduced a new tie-breaker rule for teams with equal points in the group stage. For the first time, head-to-head records will be used as the primary tie-breaker instead of goal difference.
This new rule has already impacted teams like Haiti and Turkiye. They were eliminated because they lost to the third-placed teams in their groups, making it impossible for them to advance.
Tie-Breaker Criteria
If two or more teams in the same group have equal points after the group stage, FIFA's rules apply the following criteria in order:
Step one
- Most points gained in group matches.
- Superior goal difference in head-to-head group matches between the tied teams.
- Most goals scored in head-to-head group matches between the tied teams.
If teams are still tied, the following criteria apply:
Step two
- Superior goal difference across all group matches.
- Most goals scored across all group matches.
- Highest team conduct score, based on yellow and red cards.
If teams remain tied after these steps, then:
Step three
- Teams will be ranked according to the most recent FIFA world rankings.
The eight best third-ranked teams are determined using similar criteria:
- Most points gained in all group matches.
- Goal difference from all group matches.
- Most goals scored in all group matches.
- Highest team conduct score from all group matches.
- If still tied, the most recent FIFA world rankings.
Teams Qualified for Round of 32
As of June 20, 07:00 GMT, two teams have secured their spots in the round of 32.
Mexico (Group A)
Mexico, one of the co-hosts, was the first team to qualify. They topped Group A after a 1-0 win against South Korea on June 18. Mexico started their campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa.
USA (Group D)
The United States became the second team to qualify. They secured their spot with a 2-0 win over Australia in Group D on June 19. The USA began their tournament by defeating Paraguay 4-1.
Teams Eliminated from World Cup 2026
Two teams have been knocked out of the tournament so far.
Haiti (Group C)
Haiti was the first team eliminated from the World Cup. They suffered a 3-0 loss to Brazil on June 19. This was Haiti's first tournament appearance since 1974, and they also lost their opening game 1-0 to Scotland.
Turkiye (Group D)
Turkiye was eliminated after a 1-0 defeat to 10-man Paraguay on June 19. They had also lost their first group match 2-0 to Australia. This was Turkiye's first World Cup appearance in 24 years.
