The Round of 16 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been set
These are the 16 teams that have qualified and the eight matchups to be played from Sunday, July 4, to Tuesday, July 7. Which team will be crowned champion?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached the knockout stage, where every match can reshape the tournament.
After a historic group stage featuring 48 teams and an exciting Round of 32, only 16 nations remain in contention as they battle for a place in the quarterfinals.
Round of 16 Fixtures
- Canada vs Morocco — Confirmed
- Paraguay vs France — Confirmed
- Portugal vs Spain — Confirmed
- United States vs Belgium — Confirmed
- Brazil vs Norway — Confirmed
- Mexico vs England — Confirmed
- Argentina vs Egypt — Confirmed
- Switzerland vs Colombia — Confirmed
🇨🇦 Canada vs. Morocco 🇲🇦
Co-host Canada, fresh off its victory over South Africa in Los Angeles, heads back to the United States to face Morocco at Houston Stadium.
The Atlas Lions, the breakout team of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, advanced after knocking out the Netherlands in Monterrey.
Kickoff: Saturday, July 4, at 1:00 p.m. ET
🇵🇾 Paraguay vs. France 🇫🇷
Paraguay, the tournament's biggest surprise after eliminating Germany on penalties in Boston, now takes on defending runner-up France, who comfortably dispatched Sweden in New Jersey/New York.
The match will be played on Saturday, July 4, at 5:00 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
With Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele leading the attack, can Les Bleus avoid another stunning upset?
🇧🇷 Brazil vs. Norway 🇳🇴
Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil faces arguably its toughest test of the tournament against Erling Haaland's Norway.
Brazil needed a dramatic late winner to eliminate Japan in Houston, while the Norwegians booked their place by defeating Ivory Coast in Dallas.
Kickoff: Sunday, July 5, at 4:00 p.m. ET at New Jersey/New York Stadium.
🇲🇽 Mexico vs. England 🏴
Co-host Mexico is dreaming of reaching the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1986 after an impressive victory over Ecuador at Estadio Azteca.
Now, El Tri returns to the same venue to face England, who struggled to get past DR Congo in Atlanta. For the Three Lions, it's an opportunity to reassert themselves as title contenders while exorcising the ghosts of their famous World Cup defeat to Argentina at the Azteca four decades ago.
Kickoff: Sunday, July 5, at 8:00 p.m. ET in Mexico City.
🇵🇹 Portugal vs. Spain 🇪🇸
This is undoubtedly the marquee matchup of the Round of 16.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal take on Lamine Yamal and Spain at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Portugal arrives full of confidence after ending Luka Modric and Croatia's World Cup run in a heated contest in Toronto, while Spain extended its unbeaten streak to 35 matches with a dominant victory over Austria in Los Angeles.
Kickoff: Monday, July 6, at 3:00 p.m. ET.
🇺🇸 United States vs. Belgium 🇧🇪
Neither team looked particularly convincing in the previous round.
The United States eliminated Bosnia and Herzegovina but lost leading scorer Folarin Balogun to suspension after his red card in San Francisco.
Belgium, meanwhile, survived thanks to a late comeback against Senegal in Seattle.
Both sides will need to raise their level when they meet in Seattle.
Kickoff: Monday, July 6, at 8:00 p.m. ET.
🇦🇷 Argentina vs. Egypt 🇪🇬
Defending champion Argentina survived a major scare against Cape Verde in Miami and now faces a historic Egypt side that edged Australia on penalties in Dallas.
The spotlight will be on a dream showdown between two global icons: Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah.
Kickoff: Tuesday, July 7, at 12:00 p.m. ET at Atlanta Stadium.
🇨🇭 Switzerland vs. Colombia 🇨🇴
Switzerland advanced with an impressive win over Algeria at BC Place in Vancouver, while Colombia booked its place by defeating Ghana in Kansas City.
Now the two sides meet with a quarterfinal berth on the line.
Kickoff: Tuesday, July 7, at 4:00 p.m. ET at BC Place in Vancouver, where Switzerland returns and Colombia becomes the first team to play in all three host countries—Canada, the United States and Mexico.
What happens if a Round of 16 match ends in a draw?
Unlike the group stage, knockout matches cannot end level.
If the score remains tied after 90 minutes plus stoppage time, the match goes to 30 minutes of extra time, split into two 15-minute periods.
If the teams are still tied after extra time, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout.
Messi and Ronaldo can only meet in the World Cup Final
Before the tournament began, millions of fans dreamed of another World Cup showdown between Lionel Messi's Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
However, Portugal finished second in its group and landed on the opposite side of the knockout bracket.
That means the legendary rivals can only meet if both teams reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final on July 19, making one last chapter in one of football's greatest rivalries possible.
