The group stage matchups for the 2026 World Cup are not yet complete, but we already know a good amount of teams who will advance to the knockout rounds.
As it stands, 19 teams have already clinched their spot in the round of 32, with a few more on the verge but not yet technically clinching due to the possibility of extreme circumstances. For example, Spain has not yet secured a spot in the round of 32 from Group H, but is practically guaranteed to get there. Some very wild outcomes are needed for it to not earn a spot in the knockout rounds.
Regardless, perhaps it’s time for fans and experts to start looking ahead in the tournament. We have an idea of which teams are hot, which teams are underperforming and which teams are serious threats for the World Cup trophy. With that in mind, which 16 teams are the most likely to advance to the round of 16?
Here are our predictions for the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup:
Which teams have secured a spot in the round of 32?
- Argentina: Winner Group J
- Australia: Runner-up Group D
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Third-place team
- Brazil: Winner Group C
- Canada: Runner-up Group B
- Colombia: Advanced
- Ecuador: Third-place team
- France: Advanced
- Germany: Winner Group E
- Ivory Coast: Runner-up Group E
- Japan: Runner-up Group F
- Mexico: Winner Group A
- Morocco: Runner-up Group C
- Netherlands: Winner Group F
- Norway: Advanced
- South Africa: Runner-up Group A
- Sweden: Third-place team
- Switzerland: Winner Group B
- United States: Winner Group D
Round of 32 predictions
As it stands, most first-place teams that get the opportunity to play a third-place team will have a pretty easy time advancing to the round of 16. Considering this is the largest pool of teams to ever compete at the World Cup, such an upset would be quite the shock for the tournament.
Teams with such a draw, like Germany, the United States, Mexico and Switzerland, should make up a quarter of the teams finding themselves in the round of 16.
Of course, there are several other teams with World Cup title aspirations who would find themselves shocked to get bounced before the round of 16. Teams with high-end World Cup odds include France, Spain, Argentina, England, Brazil, Netherlands, Norway, Morocco and Portugal, though Portugal could wind up as the No. 2 team in Group K after a shocking tie to DR Congo in their first game of the tournament, which could land them in a poor matchup.
If they finish second in Group K, they’ll have a game against the second-place finisher in Group L, which is looking to be Ghana. That’s a very winnable game for Portugal, but it would be a much tougher draw than if they were to win Group K and earn a matchup against a third-place finisher.
Another team to keep an eye on is the Netherlands. While they have great odds to win the World Cup, their tie in the opening match against Japan may be evidence that their round of 32 matchup against Morocco may be too much to handle.
What matchups will we see in the Round of 16?
Based on the current matchups and expectations for teams involved, here are our predictions for the round of 16 matchups:
- Germany vs. France
- South Africa vs. Morocco
- Portugal vs. Spain
- United States vs. Egypt
- Brazil vs. Norway
- Mexico vs. England
- Argentina vs. Australia
- Switzerland vs. Colombia
When does the round of 32 begin?
The round of 32 begins Sunday, June 28 with a showdown between South Africa and Canada at 3 p.m. ET.
When does the round of 16 begin?
The round of 16 will begin on Saturday, July 4. The first game that day will start at 1 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Can the USA advance? Predicting round of 16 teams at World Cup
