Wellington Jopelo
The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to begin with several blockbuster fixtures after the group stage concluded, with Portugal’s showdown against Spain emerging as one of the biggest matches of the Round of 16.
Defending champions Argentina, five-time winners Brazil, France, England, Germany and hosts the United States have also secured places in the knockout stage as teams battle for a place in the quarter-finals.
Football fans across the world are now preparing for eight high-stakes matches that will determine which nations remain in the race for this year’s World Cup title.
One of the headline fixtures will see Portugal take on long-time rivals Spain in an all-European clash expected to produce one of the tournament’s biggest contests.
Elsewhere, Argentina will face Denmark, while Brazil will battle South Korea in another highly anticipated Round of 16 encounter.
England have been drawn against Senegal, France will meet Mexico, Germany take on Morocco, the Netherlands face Japan, while the United States will square off against Uruguay.
FIFA confirmed that the knockout matches will be played over four days, with two matches scheduled each day before the competition moves into the quarter-final stage.
Teams that finish level after 90 minutes will play extra time, while penalty shootouts will be used if a winner is still not decided.
The Round of 16 marks the beginning of the win-or-go-home phase of the tournament, with every remaining nation now just four victories away from lifting the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy.
The complete Round of 16 fixtures, including match dates and kick-off times, have been released as excitement continues to build ahead of the knockout stage.