FIFA World Cup 2026

Bracket

FIFA World Cup 2026 — 48 Teams · 104 Matches · 16 Venues · USA, Canada & Mexico

How does the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout bracket work?

FIFA World Cup 2026 is the first edition with 48 teams across 12 groups of four. The top two from each group (24 teams) plus the 8 best third-placed finishers advance to a Round of 32. From there the bracket proceeds: Round of 16 (16 teams), Quarterfinals (8), Semifinals (4) and one Final on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.

Round of 32

Round of 32

Winner A
vs
Runner-up C

Round of 32

Winner B
vs
Runner-up D

Round of 32

Winner C
vs
Runner-up A

Round of 32

Winner D
vs
Runner-up B

Round of 32

Winner E
vs
Runner-up G

Round of 32

Winner F
vs
Runner-up H

Round of 32

Winner G
vs
Runner-up E

Round of 32

Winner H
vs
Runner-up F

Round of 32

Winner I
vs
Runner-up K

Round of 32

Winner J
vs
Runner-up L

Round of 32

Winner K
vs
Runner-up I

Round of 32

Winner L
vs
Runner-up J

Round of 32

Best 3rd (A/B/C/D)
vs
Best 3rd (E/F/G/H)

Round of 32

Best 3rd (A/B/E/F)
vs
Best 3rd (I/J/K/L)

Round of 32

Best 3rd (C/D/I/J)
vs
Best 3rd (G/H/K/L)

Round of 32

Best 3rd (A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/L)
vs
TBD

Round of 16

Round of 16

Round of 32 W1
vs
Round of 32 W2

Round of 16

Round of 32 W3
vs
Round of 32 W4

Round of 16

Round of 32 W5
vs
Round of 32 W6

Round of 16

Round of 32 W7
vs
Round of 32 W8

Round of 16

Round of 32 W9
vs
Round of 32 W10

Round of 16

Round of 32 W11
vs
Round of 32 W12

Round of 16

Round of 32 W13
vs
Round of 32 W14

Round of 16

Round of 32 W15
vs
Round of 32 W16

Round of 16

Round of 32 W17
vs
Round of 32 W18

Round of 16

Round of 32 W19
vs
Round of 32 W20

Round of 16

Round of 32 W21
vs
Round of 32 W22

Round of 16

Round of 32 W23
vs
Round of 32 W24

Round of 16

Round of 32 W25
vs
Round of 32 W26

Round of 16

Round of 32 W27
vs
Round of 32 W28

Round of 16

Round of 32 W29
vs
Round of 32 W30

Round of 16

Round of 32 W31
vs
Round of 32 W32

Quarterfinals

Quarterfinals

QF TBD
vs
QF TBD

Quarterfinals

QF TBD
vs
QF TBD

Quarterfinals

QF TBD
vs
QF TBD

Quarterfinals

QF TBD
vs
QF TBD

Quarterfinals

QF TBD
vs
QF TBD

Quarterfinals

QF TBD
vs
QF TBD

Quarterfinals

QF TBD
vs
QF TBD

Quarterfinals

QF TBD
vs
QF TBD

Semifinals

Semifinals

SF TBD
vs
SF TBD

Semifinals

SF TBD
vs
SF TBD

Semifinals

SF TBD
vs
SF TBD

Semifinals

SF TBD
vs
SF TBD

Final — MetLife Stadium · July 19, 2026

Final

TBD
vs
TBD
Round of 32 Format

FIFA World Cup 2026 expands to 48 teams for the first time. The 48 nations are divided into 12 groups of four. The top two from each group advance automatically (24 teams), and the 8 best third-placed finishers among the 12 groups also qualify, creating a Round of 32 for the first time in World Cup history.

Bracket Rules

In the knockout stage, each match is settled in 90 minutes of regular time. If level, the game proceeds to extra time (2×15 minutes) and then a penalty shoot-out if still tied. There is no third-place play-off in the standard bracket. The Final takes place on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ.

When does the knockout stage start?

The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage runs from June 11 to July 1, 2026. The Round of 32 takes place July 4–7, Round of 16 July 9–12, Quarterfinals July 14–15, Semifinals July 17–18 and the Grand Final on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

ScheduleGroupsLive