The 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage is where 48 teams become one. This interactive bracket tracks every round — from the Round of 32 through the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium — and lets you dig into any team or matchup along the way.
Tap any team to see its full projected path: the odds to reach each round and lift the trophy, its group-finish breakdown, plus manager, recent form, set-piece takers, World Cup pedigree, and how the model's title odds stack up against the betting market. Tap any matchup to compare both sides side by side. As group play wraps and teams clinch their spots, the bracket fills in — or you can drop in the projected qualifiers yourself with one switch.
The projections come from Nick Giffen's daily tournament simulations, refreshed throughout the World Cup. For the full team-by-team advancement numbers behind this bracket, see World Cup Tournament Projections: Full Tournament Simulations. And to break down any single fixture — per-game win probability, projected score, FIFA and Elo ratings, head-to-head history back to 1930, and current form — head to our 2026 FIFA World Cup Matchup Tool.
Now dive in: pick your dark horse, chase the upsets, and map every road to the final at MetLife. The bracket's wide open — go fill it in.
World Cup 2026 Knockout Bracket: Matchup Predictions & Qualified Teams
As the 2026 World Cup knockout stage takes shape, this section breaks down every confirmed knockout matchup and every team that has booked its place — each with Action Network’s model projections, FIFA and Elo ratings, and the road ahead. Use the bracket above to map any path to the MetLife final; the write-ups below update as teams qualify and fixtures lock in.
Knockout Matchups
The knockout matchups aren’t set yet. The Round of 32 kicks off Jun 28 in Los Angeles, once the group stage wraps and all 32 places — 12 group winners, 12 runners-up and the eight best third-placed teams — are confirmed. The moment both sides of a tie are known, its full prediction, odds and projected path appear here. In the meantime, see the qualified teams below.
Qualified Teams
Teams that have clinched a knockout berth, ordered by title odds.
🇦🇷 Argentina — Round of 32 (Group J winners)
Argentina have locked up top spot in Group J and open the knockout stage on Jul 3 in Miami (Match 86). Action Network’s tournament simulations give them an 89.2% chance to reach the Round of 16, 69.5% to make the quarter-finals and 15.8% to win the World Cup outright. Lionel Scaloni’s side arrive on an 8-1-1 record (W-D-L) across their last 10, including a 5-0 win over Zambia, a 2-0 win over Honduras and a 3-0 win over Iceland. Tap Argentina in the bracket above for their full projected path.
🇩🇪 Germany — Round of 32 (Group E winners)
The model makes Germany a 5.1% pick to lift the trophy, with a 79.4% route to the Round of 16 and 38.0% to the quarter-finals. They reach the bracket as Group E winners and begin on Jun 29 in Boston (Match 74). Under Julian Nagelsmann (in charge since 2023), they bring a 9-0-1 recent record (W-D-L) — recent form includes a 2-1 win over Ghana, a 4-0 win over Finland and a 2-1 win over USA. See Germany’s full path in the bracket above.
🇺🇸 United States — Round of 32 (Group D winners)
The United States have locked up top spot in Group D and open the knockout stage on Jul 2 in San Francisco (Match 81). Action Network’s tournament simulations give them a 77.0% chance to reach the Round of 16, 44.0% to make the quarter-finals and 1.3% to win the World Cup outright. Mauricio Pochettino’s side arrive on a 5-1-4 record (W-D-L) across their last 10, including a 0-2 loss to Portugal, a 3-2 win over Senegal and a 1-2 loss to Germany. Tap the United States in the bracket above for their full projected path.
🇲🇽 Mexico — Round of 32 (Group A winners)
The model makes Mexico a 1.1% pick to lift the trophy, with a 71.7% route to the Round of 16 and 29.9% to the quarter-finals. They reach the bracket as Group A winners and begin on Jul 1 in Mexico City (Match 79). Under Javier Aguirre (in charge since 2024), they bring a 6-3-1 recent record (W-D-L) — recent form includes a 2-0 win over Ghana, a 1-0 win over Australia and a 5-1 win over Serbia. See Mexico’s full path in the bracket above.
