World Cup 2026 Round of 16: Full knockout schedule, fixtures and latest FIFA rankings
Eight knockout ties set across four action-packed days
DUBAI – The FIFA World Cup 2026 enters its second knockout phase on Saturday, with the final 16 teams preparing to battle for a place in the quarter-finals.
Following the completion of the group stage and Round of 32, the tournament has also produced a significant change in the FIFA men's world rankings, with France replacing reigning champions Argentina at the summit.
All three host nations – the United States, Canada and Mexico – have progressed to the Round of 16 alongside Brazil, Paraguay, Morocco, Norway, France, England, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Egypt, Argentina and Colombia.
Here is everything to know before the Round of 16 gets underway.
All three hosts reach the knockout stage
The expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup has delivered another milestone, with all three co-hosts progressing beyond the opening knockout round.
The United States, Canada and Mexico have each secured places in the Round of 16, ensuring all host nations remain in contention for the biggest prize in international football.
They are joined by several traditional football powerhouses, including France, Argentina, Brazil, England, Spain and Portugal, as well as surprise challengers such as Morocco, Egypt, Norway and Paraguay.
Full Round of 16 fixtures
The knockout stage opens on July 4 with two matches.
- Canada vs Morocco
- Paraguay vs France
Action continues on July 5 with another pair of high-profile encounters.
- Brazil vs Norway
- Mexico vs England
The following day, July 6, two heavyweight European clashes headline the schedule.
- Portugal vs Spain
- United States vs Belgium
The Round of 16 concludes on July 7 with the remaining two fixtures.
- Argentina vs Egypt
- Switzerland vs Colombia
The winners of these eight matches will advance to the quarter-finals as the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup title intensifies.
France replace Argentina as world No. 1
While Argentina remain among the favourites to defend their World Cup crown, they are no longer the world's top-ranked men's national team. France have climbed to No. 1 in the latest FIFA rankings after a series of dominant performances during the tournament. Les Bleus recorded convincing victories over Senegal, Iraq and Norway in the group stage before comfortably defeating Sweden in the Round of 32.
Argentina, who spent much of the tournament as the world's highest-ranked side, slipped to second despite defeating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time. The hard-fought knockout victory proved enough to send Lionel Messi's side into the Round of 16 but resulted in a drop in the live FIFA standings.
The latest rankings also underline the quality of the remaining teams, with almost every top-ranked nation still competing for the title. The Netherlands were the only team from FIFA's top 10 to miss out on the Round of 16 after losing to Morocco in a penalty shootout.
FIFA rankings of the remaining teams
Based on FIFA's updated men's rankings following the Round of 32, the 16 remaining World Cup teams are ranked as follows:
- France
- Argentina
- Spain
- England
- Brazil
- Morocco
- Portugal
- Belgium (9th in the overall FIFA rankings)
- Mexico (10th)
- Colombia (11th)
- Switzerland (15th)
- United States (16th)
- Norway (21st)
- Egypt (24th)
- Canada (30th)
- Paraguay (34th)
With the field now reduced to 16 nations, every match becomes a direct battle for survival, with quarter-final places and the dream of lifting football's biggest trophy on the line.