🏆 World Cup 2026 Bracket
The road to the final. See who is through, who is fighting for a best-third spot, and how the knockout path fills in.
For the first time, the World Cup knockout stage begins with a Round of 32. The 12 group winners and 12 runners-up qualify automatically, and the eight best third-placed teams from across all 12 groups fill the remaining spots, making 32 teams in all. From there it is straight knockout football: win and you go through, lose and you go home. This page tracks the whole picture, the teams already locked in, the third-placed race that decides the final eight tickets, and the bracket itself as each round is drawn and played.
Who is through from each group
The top two teams in each group qualify directly. Here is where each of the 12 groups currently stands at the top.
The best third-placed race
Eight of the 12 third-placed teams also reach the Round of 32. They are ranked across all groups by points, then goal difference, then goals scored. The top eight here are in the qualifying places; the bottom four are, for now, on the outside.
The knockout bracket
Here is the knockout tree as it stands. Each round is shown as soon as its fixtures are drawn, with scores added once matches are played.