The Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is happening right now.
And the Round of 16 is starting to take form.
Some teams, including Paraguay, Canada, Morocco, and Brazil, have already secured their spots in the next phase of the tournament. This is an exciting time for their fans as they look forward to the quarter-finals.
In this piece, we’re diving into the upcoming Round of 16 matchups and making some predictions for how the quarterfinals might unfold.
So, here’s the Round of 32 bracket:
If you’re following this, it’s likely you’re aware that Paraguay, Canada, Morocco, and Brazil are among the teams that have punched their tickets to the Round of 16.
Now, let’s consider those matchups.
The Round of 16 matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are outlined as follows:
Paraguay made it to this stage after a nail-biting victory over Germany. They are set to face France, who convincingly triumphed over Sweden with a score of 3-0.
The very first match in this thrilling Round of 16 will feature Canada up against Morocco. Morocco advanced following a tense penalty shootout win against the Netherlands, while Canada made history with its first Round of 16 qualification after a victory over South Africa.
Portugal/Croatia vs. Spain/Austria
This matchup is scheduled for Thursday. It will feature the winner of the Portugal vs. Croatia match, which will take on the victor of the 2026 FIFA World Cup opener between Spain and Austria.
USA/Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Belgium/Senegal
Belgium and Senegal will face off on Wednesday afternoon, and the winner of that match will play the winner of Wednesday night’s game between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Round of 16 was finalized with Brazil defeating Japan, allowing them to move on to the next round where they will confront Norway, led by Erling Haaland, who secured their place with a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast.
Mexico, after a solid performance, defeated Ecuador 2-0 to ensure their spot in the Round of 16. Meanwhile, England fought back energetically against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and will now face Mexico. The Three Lions will need to step up significantly if they hope to overcome Mexico in front of a lively home crowd.
Argentina/Cape Verde vs. Australia/Egypt
Lionel Messi and his team have made it to the Round of 32 but face a tough match against Cape Verde, one of the competition’s favorites, in order to advance further.
The winner of that clash will then face either Australia or Egypt in the Round of 16.
Switzerland/Algeria vs. Colombia/Ghana
The last pair of teams in the Round of 16 would see the victor of Switzerland versus Algeria take on the winner from the Colombian and Ghana match.
Possible Quarter-Final Matches
Now, let’s delve into potential quarterfinal matchups, starting from the top left of the bracket. This image might help guide us through.
Looking at matchday 97, the winner of matchday 89 (France vs. Paraguay) will compete against the winner from matchday 90, where Canada faces Morocco. Given France’s performance against Sweden, it’s hard not to see them as strong contenders for the quarter-finals and beyond.
Match 98, positioned at the bottom left of the bracket, might just include the US team.
In this scenario, the winner of match 93 will square off against the winner of match 94. Match 93 features either Portugal or Croatia against the victor of Spain vs. Austria. Meanwhile, match 94 will pit Belgium against the winner of the USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina game.
Advancing to the top right of the bracket, Match 99 will see the winner of Match 91 play against the winner of Match 92. Here, Brazil battles Norway, while Mexico goes against the winner of England and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Finally, in the bottom right of the bracket, match 100 will conclude the quarter-final rounds. The victor of match 95 (Argentina vs. Cape Verde) will face the winner from Australia vs. Egypt. Match 96 will then feature the winners of Switzerland/Algeria and Colombia/Ghana.
