2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage

The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the second and final stage of the competition, following the group stage. Played from June 28 to July 19, 2026, the knockout stage will end with the final, to be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The top two teams from each of the twelve groups, along with the best eight third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination tournament. There will be 32 matches in the knockout stage, including a match for third place.

Format

The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be contested between 32 teams that qualify from the group stage. Matches in the knockout stage will be played to a finish. If the score of a match is level at the end of 90 minutes of playing time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played. If the scores were still tied, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout. All times listed are local.
FIFA set out the following schedule for the round of 32:

Match 73: Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B
Match 74: Winner Group E vs Best 3rd place Group A/B/C/D/F
Match 75: Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C
Match 76: Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F
Match 77: Winner Group I vs Best 3rd place Group C/D/F/G/H
Match 78: Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I
Match 79: Winner Group A vs Best 3rd place Group C/E/F/H/I
Match 80: Winner Group L vs Best 3rd place Group E/H/I/J/K
Match 81: Winner Group D vs Best 3rd place Group B/E/F/I/J
Match 82: Winner Group G vs Best 3rd place Group A/E/H/I/J
Match 83: Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L
Match 84: Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J
Match 85: Winner Group B vs Best 3rd place Group E/F/G/I/J
Match 86: Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H
Match 87: Winner Group K vs Best 3rd place Group D/E/I/J/L
Match 88: Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G

Combinations of matches in the round of 32

The specific matchups involving the third-placed teams depend on which eight third-placed teams qualify for the round of 32. The 495 possible combinations were published in Annex C of the tournament regulations.

Qualified teams

The top two teams from each of the twelve groups, along with the eight best-ranked third-placed teams, will qualify for the knockout stage.

Group	Winners	Runners-up	Third-placed teams
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L

Bracket

The tournament bracket is shown below, with bold denoting the winners of each match.

Round of 32

Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B

Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F

Winner Group E vs 3rd Group A/B/C/D/F

Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C

Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I

Winner Group I vs 3rd Group C/D/F/G/H

Winner Group A vs 3rd Group C/E/F/H/I

Winner Group L vs 3rd Group E/H/I/J/K

Winner Group G vs 3rd Group A/E/H/I/J

Winner Group D vs 3rd Group B/E/F/I/J

Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J

Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L

Winner Group B vs 3rd Group E/F/G/I/J

Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G

Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H

Winner Group K vs 3rd Group D/E/I/J/L

Round of 16

Winner Match 73 vs Winner Match 75

Winner Match 74 vs Winner Match 77

Winner Match 76 vs Winner Match 78

Winner Match 79 vs Winner Match 80

Winner Match 83 vs Winner Match 84

Winner Match 81 vs Winner Match 82

Winner Match 86 vs Winner Match 88

Winner Match 85 vs Winner Match 87

Quarterfinals

Winner Match 89 vs Winner Match 90

Winner Match 93 vs Winner Match 94

Winner Match 91 vs Winner Match 92

Winner Match 95 vs Winner Match 96

Semifinals

Winner Match 97 vs Winner Match 98

Winner Match 99 vs Winner Match 100

Match for third place