2026 FIFA World Cup Knockout Round Matches and Potential Round of 16 Pairings

The group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is nearing its end, and the lineup for the Round of 32 is nearly complete. As of Friday morning, 14 teams have secured their spots in the knockout rounds, with four matchups already confirmed. By the weekend's close, all Round of 32 pairs will be finalized, allowing fans to look ahead to potential Round of 16 encounters.

The knockout bracket, provided courtesy of USA Today, details each pairing as it stands.

Confirmed Round of 32 Matches

Match 74: Germany vs. Paraguay – Group E winners Germany await Paraguay, who finished third in one of Groups A through F.
Match 77: France vs. Sweden – France topped Group I after a 4-1 victory over Norway; they face Sweden, a confirmed third-place finisher.
Match 73: South Africa vs. Canada – Both runners-up in their groups, South Africa (Group A) meets Canada (Group B) in a fully set matchup.
Match 75: Netherlands vs. Morocco – The Dutch, winners of Group F, will challenge Morocco, who finished second in Group C.
Match 83: Portugal vs. Croatia – Portugal secured second place in Group K and will face Croatia, runners-up in Group L.
Match 84: Spain vs. Austria – Spain clinched top spot in Group H, and Austria grabbed second place in Group J with a late goal against Algeria.
Match 81: United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – The US advanced early with a win over Australia; Bosnia qualified as a third-place team.
Match 82: Belgium vs. Senegal – Belgium won Group G, while Senegal advanced as a third-place team to meet them.
Match 76: Brazil vs. Japan – Brazil leads Group C, matched against Japan from Group F’s runner-up position.
Match 78: Ivory Coast vs. Norway – Ivory Coast, second in Group E, faces Norway, the runner-up in Group I.
Match 79: Mexico vs. Ecuador – Host nation Mexico plays Ecuador, a third-place finisher from one of several groups.
Match 80: England vs. DR Congo – England, winners of Group L, take on DR Congo, a confirmed third-place side.
Match 86: Argentina vs. Cabo Verde – Argentina tops Group J and will meet Cabo Verde, second in Group H.
Match 88: Australia vs. Egypt – Australia secured second place in Group D; Egypt took second in Group G to set this fixture.
Match 85: Switzerland vs. Algeria – Switzerland won Group B and will play Algeria, who qualified as a third-place team.
Match 87: Colombia vs. Ghana – Colombia claimed Group K’s top spot and will face third-place Ghana.

Possible Round of 16 Matchups

Looking ahead to the Round of 16, these contests depend on the outcomes of the Round of 32:

Match 89: Paraguay vs. France – Paraguay beat Germany on penalties to advance and will face the winner of France vs. Sweden. France won 3-0 over Sweden.
Match 90: Canada vs. Morocco – Canada defeated South Africa and will take on Morocco, who won their Round of 32 match via penalties.
Match 93: Spain vs. Croatia or Portugal – Spain, top of Group H, faces the winner between Portugal and Croatia.
Match 94: Belgium vs. United States – Both teams won their Round of 32 matches; a unique possibility exists where the US could face Iran if group results shifted.
Match 91: Brazil vs. Norway – Brazil’s 1-0 win over Japan sets up a clash with Norway, who edged Ivory Coast 2-1.
Match 92: Mexico vs. England – Mexico will face England following their respective Round of 32 victories over Ecuador and DR Congo.
Match 95: Argentina vs. Cabo Verde or Australia vs. Egypt winner – Lionel Messi’s Argentina awaits Cabo Verde; Australia takes on Egypt in this section.
Match 96: Switzerland vs. Ghana or Colombia – Switzerland faces Algeria or another third-place team, while Colombia meets Ghana in this quadrant.

The tournament continues to unfold with dramatic finishes and surprises. Fans can discuss every match day on The Feed.