The 2026 FIFA World Cup is gearing up as the tournament heads into the round of 16 stage, the second knockout round. All the teams here have not only survived their groups but also won a knockout game to be here.
But which teams have qualified for the round of 16, and who will they play? Today, we will take a look at all the round of 16 fixtures of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here is the World Cup round of 16 draw.
World Cup Round of 16 Draw
The first game in this round will see co-hosts Canada take on defending AFCON champions Morocco. The Canada vs Morocco game will be played on Saturday, July 4, at 10:30 pm (IST) at the Houston Stadium.
Canada was in Group B of this competition. They drew 1-1 against Bosnia in their first game, followed by a 6-0 drubbing of Canada, before losing 2-1 to Switzerland in their final group game, finishing second. In the round of 32, they defeated South Africa 1-0.
As for Morocco, they drew 1-1 against the mighty Brazil in their first Group C match, followed by a 1-0 win over Scotland and a 4-2 victory against Haiti. Having finished second in their group, they took on the Netherlands in the round of 32, winning the game on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
The second round of 16 match will see Paraguay take on the 2018 World Champions, France. The France vs Paraguay match will be played on Sunday, July 5, at 2:30 am (IST) in Philadelphia.
Paraguay has had a challenging run in this World Cup so far. In their first Group D game, they were thrashed 4-1 by the hosts, the USA. Then, in their second game, they snuck past Türkiye with a 1-0 win and finished the group in third after a 0-0 draw against Australia. Then, in the round of 16, they defeated four-time world champions Germany on penalties.
As for the French, they were by far the best team in Group I. First, they defeated Senegal 3-1, before beating Iraq 3-0, and then came a 4-1 victory over Norway. In the round of 32, the French beat Sweden 3-0.
The third game in the round of 16 is sure to produce fireworks, as Brazil takes on Norway. The Brazil vs Norway game will be played on Monday, July 6, at 1:30 am (IST) in the New York-New Jersey Stadium.
Brazil is a record five-time FIFA World Cup winner. In their first Group C game, they drew against Morocco 1-1, then defeated Haiti 3-0. A 3-0 victory over Scotland ensured that they would top their group. Then, in the round of 32, they defeated a strong Japan team 2-1.
As for Norway, they have qualified for a World Cup for the first time since 1998. They won their first Group I game 4-1 against Iraq before defeating Senegal 2-1. A 4-1 defeat came against France in their final group game. In the round of 16, the Norwegians defeated the Ivory Coast 2-1.
Check Out: World Cup Round of 16 Draw
The fourth round of 16 match will see yet another co-host, this time Mexico, go up against one of the favourites to win it all in England. This match will be played on Monday, July 6, at 5:30 am in Mexico City.
Mexico was in a tough Group A, where in the first match, they defeated South Africa 2-0. Then came a narrow 1-0 win against South Africa before a 3-0 triumph over Czechia. With three wins, they topped the group and faced Ecuador in the round of 32, which they defeated 2-0.
Meanwhile, England defeated Croatia 4-2 in their first Group L match. Then, they struggled against Ghana and drew 0-0. With a 2-1 win over Panama in their final group game, the Three Lions topped their group and faced DR Congo in the round of 32. In the first knockout game, the English had to fight hard for a 2-1 win.
The fifth round of 16 match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest blockbuster game of this tournament so far, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal faces defending European champions Spain in an Iberian derby. The Portugal vs Spain match will be played on Tuesday, July 7, at 12:30 am in Dallas.
So far, Portugal has not stood up to the high expectations it carried before the World Cup. In their first Group K game, they drew 1-1 against DR Congo before coming back in their second match and thrashing Uzbekistan 5-0. And after a 0-0 draw against Colombia, the Portuguese finished second in their group. In the round of 32, they beat Croatia 2-1.
As for Spain, who came into the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the tournament favourites, they drew 0-0 against Cabo Verde in their first group H game. A 4-0 win against Saudi Arabia was followed by a 1-0 victory over Uruguay. After topping their group, La Roja went into another gear with a 3-0 win over Austria in their round of 32 match.
The sixth round of 32 match will see the third and final co-host, the United States of America, take on an ageing Belgium. The USA vs Belgium match will be played on Tuesday, July 7, at 5:30 am in Seattle.
The United States has been better than expected in this World Cup so far. In their first Group D game, they dominated Paraguay in a 4-1 win. Then, they defeated Australia 2-0 before losing 3-2 against Türkiye in their final group game. After finishing on top, they faced Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, which they defeated 2-0.
Meanwhile, Belgium has looked far from the team that ranked world No. 1 for much of the 2010s. In their first Group G game, they drew 1-1 against Egypt, before drawing 0-0 against Iran and following it up with a 5-1 routing of New Zealand. After topping their group, the Red Devils defeated Senegal 3-2 in the round of 16 after being 2-0 behind in the match at the 85th minute mark.
The seventh round of 32 match will be between the reigning world champions, Argentina and Egypt. The Argentina vs Egypt match will be played on Tuesday, July 7, at 9:30 pm in Atlanta.
Argentina’s ride to this point in the tournament has been a smooth one, with a notable hiccup. They dominated Group L with a 3-0 win over Algeria, a 2-0 victory against Austria, and a 3-1 triumph against Jordan. Then, in the round of 16, they faced Cabo Verde. While they won the game 3-2 in extra time, the Albiceleste seemed to have struggled against the minnows in a knockout game.
On the other hand, Egypt has had to fight and claw for a place in the round of 16. They drew 1-1 against Belgium in their first Group G game before defeating New Zealand 3-1. And with a 1-1 draw against Iran, they finished second in the group. Then, in a thrilling round of 32 game, they defeated Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Finally, the last round of 16 match will be between two perennial underdogs, as Switzerland will take on Colombia. The Switzerland vs Colombia match will be played on Wednesday, July 8, at 1:30 pm in Vancouver.
The Swiss were in Group B, where they drew 1-1 with Qatar in their first game. Then came a 4-1 victory over Bosnia and a 2-1 win against Canada. After drawing the group, they faced Algeria in the round of 32, which they defeated 2-0.
Meanwhile, Colombia has had a strong showing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far. In their first group K game, they defeated Uzbekistan 3-1, followed by a 1-0 victory against DR Congo. And with a 0-0 draw against Portugal, they topped their group. In the round of 32, the Colombians faced Ghana, defeating the African team 1-0 in a tight game.
2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 Draw: All Match Details
| Match | Date and Time (IST) | Location |
| Canada vs Morocco | Saturday, July 410:30 pm | Houston Stadium |
| Paraguay vs France | Sunday, July 52:30 am | Philadelphia Stadium |
| Brazil vs Norway | Monday, July 61:30 am | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| Mexico vs England | Monday, July 65:30 am | Mexico City Stadium |
| Portugal vs Spain | Tuesday, July 712:30 am | Dallas Stadium |
| USA vs Belgium | Tuesday, July 75:30 am | Seattle Stadium |
| Argentina vs Egypt | Tuesday, July 79:30 pm | Atlanta Stadium |
| Switzerland vs Colombia | Wednesday, July 81:30 am | BC Place Vancouver |
FAQs
Q. What is the likely quarter-final draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
A. While guessing the results of World Cup knockout games is never wise, we can look at the FIFA rankings and forms of all the teams to make predictions. One would assume Morocco and France will win their ties and then play in the next round. The winner of a close USA vs Belgium game will face the winner of the even tougher-to-call match between Portugal and Spain. If Brazil beats Norway, they will likely face England in the quarters. And lastly, Argentina is expected to win their round of 16 match, after which they will face the winner of the Switzerland vs Colombia match.
Q. Can Argentina and Portugal face each other in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final?
A. Being on opposite ends of the knockout bracket, there is a real possibility that Argentina will face Portugal in the final. However, the Portuguese will have to defeat teams like Spain and France to reach the final, while the Argentines will likely face either Brazil or England in the semis.
Q. Who is the highest goalscorer in the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far?
A. With seven goals in just four games, 39-year-old Lionel Messi sits atop the goal-scoring tally of this World Cup, followed closely by Kylian Mbappé with six goals and the duo of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane with five goals each.
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