The 2026 World Cup is into the serious stuff after the group stage, as the knockout rounds begin with a first ever last-32.
The top two sides in each group qualified for knockouts along with the eight best third-place teams. Uruguay and Scotland were among the 16 nations eliminated, while tournament contenders including Spain, France, Argentina, Brazil, England and Germany all topped their groups.
There are 104 matches in North America this summer, up by 40 since the Qatar World Cup in 2022, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo likely to play on this stage for the last time in their glittering careers.
And here is every knockout fixture’s date, kick-off time and host city:
Here are how they finished in the group stage:
The World Cup began in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, the site of Diego Maradona’s most famous and infamous goals against England at the 1986 World Cup.
It was also the venue for two classic World Cup finals: Brazil’s win over Italy in 1970 which included Carlos Alberto’s iconic team goal to cap a 4-1 win; and Argentina’s 3-2 win over West Germany in 1986, where Jorge Burruchaga grabbed an 84th-minute winner.
Mexico and Canada will host 13 games in each, and the United States will host 78.
From the quarter-finals onwards, the US will host all of the remaining matches, with the final in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Who will win the World Cup?
Football’s biggest question is back – and the debate is already heating up. England’s new golden generation, Argentina’s defending champions, France’s relentless depth and Spain’s evolving young side all have strong claims to glory at the World Cup.
Now it’s your turn: who do you think will lift the trophy?
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