Everything you need to know ahead of the World Cup knockout stage

The FIFA 2026 World Cup has reached the knockout stage, with 32 teams left in the competition. The group stage concluded on Saturday evening, and the knockout phase kicks off on Sunday in Los Angeles with South Africa facing co-host Canada. On Monday, Brazil take on Japan in Houston.

Fixture list

Sunday, June 28: South Africa vs. Canada. Monday, June 29: Brazil vs. Japan; Germany vs. Paraguay. Tuesday, June 30: Netherlands vs. Morocco; Ivory Coast vs. Norway; France vs. Sweden. Wednesday, July 1: Mexico vs. Ecuador; England vs. DR Congo; Belgium vs. Senegal. Thursday, July 2: USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina; Spain vs. Austria. Friday, July 3: Portugal vs. Croatia; Switzerland vs. Algeria; Australia vs. Egypt. Saturday, July 4: Argentina vs. Cape Verde; Colombia vs. Ghana.

Favorites analysis

France have made a strong start, scoring 10 goals in wins over Senegal, Iraq and Norway. Coach Didier Deschamps' star-studded squad is aiming to bounce back after losing to Argentina in the 2022 final. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé each have four goals. France face Sweden in the round of 32, but potential matches against Germany and Spain loom in later rounds.

Argentina also impressed in the group stage, with Lionel Messi leading the tournament with six goals. They topped Group J by beating Algeria, Austria and Jordan. Their path to the semifinals looks favorable: first Cape Verde, then Australia or Egypt, and in the quarterfinals one of Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia or Ghana.

European champions Spain were pre-tournament favorites, but a 0-0 draw with World Cup newcomers Cape Verde raised questions. They recovered with wins over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Spain face Austria in the round of 32, and a win could set up a clash with Portugal.

Portugal struggled in the group stage: a 1-1 draw with DR Congo and a goalless draw with Colombia, before beating Uzbekistan 5-0. Their midfield is strong with players like Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes, but the inclusion of 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored twice against Uzbekistan, remains a talking point.

Other contenders include Thomas Tuchel's England, five-time champions Brazil and four-time champions Germany. England and Brazil could meet in the quarterfinals, but both have to navigate their brackets first.

Key stats

Messi has six goals to lead the Golden Boot race. Mbappé, Dembélé, Vinícius Júnior of Brazil and Erling Haaland of Norway have four each. Germany, France and the Netherlands have each scored 10 goals. FIFA's Power Rankings place Germany's Deniz Undav as the tournament's top performer with three goals and two assists in just 106 minutes of play.