Football World Cup 2026 Bracket: Knockout TV & Streaming
The Football World Cup 2026 knockout stage begins on June 28, 2026, and ends with the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. Thirty-two teams advance from the group stage — the top two from each of the twelve groups plus the eight best third-placed sides. The bracket tree and round-by-round match lists below show the full path from the Round of 32 to the final.
The bracket
All knockout matches by round
Round of 32
South Africa South Africa vs 
Canada Canada SoFi Stadium29 Jun17:00 
Brazil Brazil vs 
Japan Japan NRG Stadium29 Jun20:30 
Germany Germany vs 
Paraguay Paraguay Gillette Stadium30 Jun01:00 
Netherlands Netherlands vs 
Morocco Morocco Estadio BBVA30 Jun17:00 
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast vs 
Norway Norway AT&T Stadium30 Jun21:00 
France France vs 
Sweden Sweden MetLife Stadium1 Jul01:00 
Mexico Mexico vs 
Ecuador Ecuador Estadio Azteca1 Jul16:00 
England England vs 
DR Congo DR Congo Mercedes-Benz Stadium1 Jul20:00 
Belgium Belgium vs 
Senegal Senegal Lumen Field2 Jul00:00 
USA USA vs 
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Her… Levi's Stadium2 Jul19:00 
Spain Spain vs 
Austria Austria SoFi Stadium2 Jul23:00 
Portugal Portugal vs 
Croatia Croatia BMO Field3 Jul03:00 
Switzerland Switzerland vs 
Algeria Algeria BC Place3 Jul18:00 
Australia Australia vs 
Egypt Egypt AT&T Stadium3 Jul22:00 
Argentina Argentina vs 
Cape Verde Cape Verde Hard Rock Stadium4 Jul01:30 
Colombia Colombia vs 
Ghana Ghana GEHA Field at Arrowhead StadiumRound of 16
Canada Canada vs W75 W75 NRG Stadium4 Jul21:00 W74 W74 vs W77 W77 Lincoln Financial Field5 Jul20:00 W76 W76 vs W78 W78 MetLife Stadium6 Jul00:00 W79 W79 vs W80 W80 Estadio Azteca6 Jul19:00 W83 W83 vs W84 W84 AT&T Stadium7 Jul00:00 W81 W81 vs W82 W82 Lumen Field7 Jul16:00 W86 W86 vs W88 W88 Mercedes-Benz Stadium7 Jul20:00 W85 W85 vs W87 W87 BC PlaceQuarter-finals
Semi-finals
Third-place play-off
Final
How does the World Cup 2026 knockout stage work?
The Football World Cup 2026 knockout stage is direct elimination across five rounds. Thirty-two teams enter the Round of 32, and each round halves the field until one team lifts the trophy on July 19. Teams that are level after 90 minutes play two 15-minute periods of extra time; if still tied, the match is decided by a penalty shoot-out. The two semi-final losers meet in a third-place play-off on July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium. See all matches for individual match pages as they are confirmed.
When do the knockout matches take place?
The Round of 32 runs from June 28 to July 4, 2026, with 16 matches. The Round of 16 follows from July 4 to 7 (8 matches), the quarter-finals from July 9 to 12 (4 matches), and the semi-finals on July 14 and 15 (2 matches). The third-place play-off is on July 18 and the final is on July 19 at MetLife Stadium. For kickoff times and venues for every match in the tournament, visit the full schedule.
Where can I watch the knockout matches?
In the United States, FOX holds the English-language rights — knockout matches air on FOX (free over the air) or FS1 (cable or live-TV subscription). Tubi, the free ad-supported streaming service from Fox Corporation, carried the two opening group-stage matches but has no confirmed knockout matches — check the where-to-watch guide for updates. In Spanish, Telemundo carries the knockout stage free over the air, with Peacock streaming all matches in Spanish on demand. Subscribers to a cable or live-TV package with FOX can also stream via the FOX Sports app.
Why is the Round of 32 new for 2026?
The Round of 32 makes its World Cup debut in 2026 because the tournament has expanded from 32 to 48 teams for the first time. Previous World Cups used a 32-team format where the group stage produced 16 qualified sides — exactly enough for a Round of 16. With 48 teams and 12 groups now in use, 32 teams emerge from the group stage, so a brand-new first knockout round is required. It is the same single-elimination format as every subsequent round: win and advance, lose and go home.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does the World Cup 2026 knockout bracket work?
- The World Cup 2026 knockout bracket is single-elimination: lose a match and you are out. Thirty-two teams compete across five rounds — the Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. There is also a third-place play-off for the two semi-final losers. Every match that is level after 90 minutes goes to extra time and, if still tied, a penalty shoot-out.
- When does the World Cup 2026 knockout stage start?
- The Round of 32 kicks off on June 28, 2026 — the first knockout round in World Cup history at this stage. The 16 Round of 32 matches run through July 4. The Round of 16 follows from July 4 to 7, the quarter-finals from July 9 to 12, the semi-finals on July 14 and 15, the third-place play-off on July 18, and the final on July 19, 2026.
- Why does the 2026 World Cup have a Round of 32?
- The 2026 tournament is the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32 at previous tournaments. With 48 teams split into 12 groups of four, 32 sides advance to the knockout stage — the top two from each group (24 teams) plus the eight best third-placed finishers. A Round of 32 is needed to bring that field of 32 down to 16, something the old 32-team bracket achieved through the group stage alone.
- How do third-placed teams enter the bracket?
- After all 12 groups have played their three matches, the 12 third-placed teams are ranked against each other by points, goal difference, and goals scored. The eight best third-placed sides advance to the Round of 32. A team can finish third in its group and still qualify if its record compares favourably to the other third-placed finishers — and a team with a winning record can still be eliminated if the remaining eight third-placed sides collectively performed better.
- What channel is the World Cup 2026 knockout stage on in the US?
- In the United States, FOX and FS1 carry the knockout stage in English — matches on FOX are free over the air, while FS1 requires a cable or live-TV subscription. In Spanish, Telemundo broadcasts free over the air, with some matches on Universo (cable), and Peacock streams every match in Spanish. See the where-to-watch guide for full channel details.
- Where is the World Cup 2026 final?
- The final is at MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey area on July 19, 2026. MetLife Stadium is one of the largest venues in the tournament, with a capacity of over 82,000. In the US, the final airs on FOX in English and Telemundo in Spanish. Check the full match schedule for every knockout fixture date and venue.