Cape Verde players celebrate after the match as they qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup [Maria Lysaker/Reuters]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 27 Jun 202627 Jun 2026
The 48-team FIFA World Cup is nearing the end of the group stage matches and moving towards the knockout stages, beginning on Sunday.
Only 32 teams will advance to the next round of football’s most prestigious tournament. The 2026 iteration in North America is the first time 48 teams have featured, and some debutants have already left their mark.
The top two teams in each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-place finishers, advance to the knockouts.
The knockout phase begins with the round of 32, introduced at the World Cup following the tournament’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams.
Then comes the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and a playoff for third place. The final is on July 19.
The stage-wise breakdown of the tournament’s knockout schedule is:
So far, 26 teams have punched their ticket to the knockouts. They include:
FIFA World Cup 2026: Round of 32 full schedule
Sunday, June 28
