Key Takeaways
- The final is July 19 at MetLife Stadium. New York/New Jersey hosts the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday, July 19. The two semi-finals are in Dallas (Jul 14) and Atlanta (Jul 15).
- Knockouts run June 28 โ July 19. The expanded 48-team format adds a Round of 32: 16 ties from June 28 to July 3, then the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semis and final.
- 32 teams advance. The top two from each of the 12 groups (24 teams) plus the eight best third-placed teams reach the Round of 32.
- Three countries, sixteen stadiums. Knockout matches are spread across the USA, Mexico and Canada โ including Estadio Azteca, which hosts a Round of 16 tie.
- Updated daily. Matchups fill in here as the group stage finishes and each knockout round is decided.
The 2026 World Cup knockout stage is the business end of the first 48-team tournament โ and the first ever to feature a Round of 32. Below is every knockout match with its stadium, date and kickoff time (in ET, CET and IST), plus a venue map and the full bracket. This page updates daily as the group stage finishes and matchups are confirmed.
As of June 21, 2026, 3 of 64 knockout places are confirmed.
How the knockout bracket works
With 48 teams in 12 groups of four, the top two from each group automatically advance โ 24 teams. They are joined by the eight best third-placed teams across all groups, making 32. From there it is straight knockout: Round of 32 โ Round of 16 โ quarter-finals โ semi-finals โ final, with a third-place play-off before the final.
Knockout venues map
Round of 32
Sixteen ties, June 28 โ July 3. Group winners and runners-up are seeded against the best third-placed teams and each other.
| Date | Kickoff | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 28 | 3:00 PM ET 9:00 PM CET 12:30 AM +1d IST | Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles |
| Jun 29 | 1:00 PM ET 7:00 PM CET 10:30 PM IST | Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Jun 29 | 4:30 PM ET 10:30 PM CET 2:00 AM +1d IST | ๐ฉ๐ช Germany vs 3rd Group A/B/C/D/F | Gillette Stadium, Boston |
| Jun 29 | 9:00 PM ET 3:00 AM CET 6:30 AM +1d IST | Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| Jun 30 | 1:00 PM ET 7:00 PM CET 10:30 PM IST | Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I | AT&T Stadium, Dallas |
| Jun 30 | 5:00 PM ET 11:00 PM CET 2:30 AM +1d IST | Winner Group I vs 3rd Group C/D/F/G/H | MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey |
| Jun 30 | 9:00 PM ET 3:00 AM CET 6:30 AM +1d IST | ๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico vs 3rd Group C/E/F/H/I | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Jul 1 | 12:00 PM ET 6:00 PM CET 9:30 PM IST | Winner Group L vs 3rd Group E/H/I/J/K | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Jul 1 | 4:00 PM ET 10:00 PM CET 1:30 AM +1d IST | Winner Group G vs 3rd Group A/E/H/I/J | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Jul 1 | 8:00 PM ET 2:00 AM CET 5:30 AM +1d IST | ๐บ๐ธ United States vs 3rd Group B/E/F/I/J | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area |
| Jul 2 | 3:00 PM ET 9:00 PM CET 12:30 AM +1d IST | Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles |
| Jul 2 | 7:00 PM ET 1:00 AM CET 4:30 AM +1d IST | Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Jul 2 | 11:00 PM ET 5:00 AM CET 8:30 AM +1d IST | Winner Group B vs 3rd Group E/F/G/I/J | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Jul 3 | 2:00 PM ET 8:00 PM CET 11:30 PM IST | Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G | AT&T Stadium, Dallas |
| Jul 3 | 6:00 PM ET 12:00 AM CET 3:30 AM +1d IST | Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Jul 3 | 9:30 PM ET 3:30 AM CET 7:00 AM +1d IST | Winner Group K vs 3rd Group D/E/I/J/L | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
Round of 16
| Date | Kickoff | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4 | 1:00 PM ET 7:00 PM CET 10:30 PM IST | Winner of R32 #1 vs Winner of R32 #4 | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Jul 4 | 5:00 PM ET 11:00 PM CET 2:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R32 #3 vs Winner of R32 #6 | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Jul 5 | 4:00 PM ET 10:00 PM CET 1:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R32 #2 vs Winner of R32 #5 | MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey |
| Jul 5 | 8:00 PM ET 2:00 AM CET 5:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R32 #7 vs Winner of R32 #8 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Jul 6 | 3:00 PM ET 9:00 PM CET 12:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R32 #12 vs Winner of R32 #11 | AT&T Stadium, Dallas |
| Jul 6 | 8:00 PM ET 2:00 AM CET 5:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R32 #10 vs Winner of R32 #9 | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Jul 7 | 12:00 PM ET 6:00 PM CET 9:30 PM IST | Winner of R32 #15 vs Winner of R32 #14 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Jul 7 | 4:00 PM ET 10:00 PM CET 1:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R32 #13 vs Winner of R32 #16 | BC Place, Vancouver |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Kickoff | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9 | 4:00 PM ET 10:00 PM CET 1:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R16 #2 vs Winner of R16 #1 | Gillette Stadium, Boston |
| Jul 10 | 3:00 PM ET 9:00 PM CET 12:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R16 #5 vs Winner of R16 #6 | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles |
| Jul 11 | 5:00 PM ET 11:00 PM CET 2:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R16 #3 vs Winner of R16 #4 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Jul 11 | 9:00 PM ET 3:00 AM CET 6:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of R16 #7 vs Winner of R16 #8 | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
Semi-finals
| Date | Kickoff | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 14 | 3:00 PM ET 9:00 PM CET 12:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of QF #1 vs Winner of QF #2 | AT&T Stadium, Dallas |
| Jul 15 | 3:00 PM ET 9:00 PM CET 12:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of QF #3 vs Winner of QF #4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
Third-place play-off & final
| Date | Kickoff | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18 | 5:00 PM ET 11:00 PM CET 2:30 AM +1d IST | Loser of SF #1 vs Loser of SF #2 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Date | Kickoff | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19 | 3:00 PM ET 9:00 PM CET 12:30 AM +1d IST | Winner of SF #1 vs Winner of SF #2 | MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey |
“R32 #1”, “R16 #1” etc. refer to the numbered ties above, in date order within each round. Kickoff times are converted from local venue time; all times subject to FIFA confirmation.
Data and references:
