The 2026 World Cup moves to the Round of 16

It's been 23 days since the World Cup kicked off with 48 nations vying for the title of world champion. Now, there are 16 nations left. The Round of 16 separates the good teams from the great ones; it's the round before the quarterfinals. Historically, this is where teams would have entered the knockout rounds before the new, expanded format. Now, all the teams in this round have won a knockout game. Who will take the next step and make the last eight teams of the tournament?

Adidas soccer balls with FIFA World Cup 2026 logo at Dick's Sporting Goods.

Kirby Lee

The final 16 nations at the 2026 World Cup

Now is the time when legends are made. The final 16 teams are the cream of the crop at the World Cup. Getting one round further to the quarterfinals makes teams believe they may just be able to win this whole thing, however improbable that is. Here's a look at the last 16 teams at the 2026 World Cup

1. Paraguay
2. France

3. Canada
4. Morocco

5. Portugal
6. Spain

7. USA
8. Belgium

9. Brazil
10. Norway

11. Mexico
12. England

13. Argentina
14. Egypt

15. Switzerland
16. Colombia

The Round of 32 produced some great games with late drama. Six of them saw winning goals scored in the 85th minute or later. Three of them went to penalty kicks. Two needed 30 minutes of extra time to find a winner. Of course, there was the magic of the Argentina-Cape Verde game where the small African cluster of Islands almost beat the reigning World Cup champions.

The Round of 16 will hopefully live up to this drama! We have four days of these win-or-go-home games to look forward to, starting this afternoon!

The FIFA World Cup is displayed during the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola at Nathan Phillips Square.

Kevin Sousa

Round of 16 Schedule

A replica of official Trionda match ball for FIFA World Cup 2026 is displayed ahead of the press conference

Issei Kato

Drama, Favorites, Legends, and more!

The Round of 16 includes the major favorites (Spain, France, England, Portugal) that are still alive. Messi, Ronaldo, and James are all still on their last dance at the 2026 World Cup. Still, the co-hosts are around; will Canada, Mexico, or the USA get knocked out at this stage?

There will be more pragmatic soccer as underdogs try to do everything in their power to beat teams better than they are. Will we see more games go to extra time or penalty kicks? We'll have to tune in to find out!