Which teams have qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup?

Find out about the officially qualified teams for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

Canada has officially qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after defeating South Africa in the last minutes of the match.

The ongoing World Cup, which is being held in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, has witnessed many exciting matches and strong results since its inception, given the fierce competition between teams for the knockout stage berths.

Many teams still have a great chance to secure their places in the round of 16, and as we are used to from the World Cup, many surprises are expected.

In the following lines, we present the teams that qualified for the 16th round of the World Cup 2026, with a constantly updated list.

What will the 2026 World Cup system look like?

Due to the historic expansion of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA decided to increase the number of participating teams to 48 teams, compared to the 32 teams of the previous games, and divide them into 12 groups of four teams each in a tournament hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.

The first and second-placed teams in each group qualify directly for the round of 32, along with the top 8 third-placed teams, after which a knockout system begins, which continues until the final match and the world champion is decided.

This new system comes as part of FIFA’s efforts to expand the global participation base and allow more teams to appear on the international stage, which contributes to increasing competitiveness and enriching the tournament with different confrontations between different football schools.

The 2026 edition will also witness a significant increase in the number of matches as it will increase from 64 matches to 104 matches, making it the biggest edition in World Cup history in terms of teams and number of matches, amid expectations that it will deliver one of the most exciting and exciting tournaments ever.

What is the knockout stage system for the 2026 World Cup?

32 teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup play-offs after exiting the group stage. At this stage, all matches are held in a knockout system.

If the game ends in a tie after regular time (90 minutes), two 30-minute extra halves will be played. If the tie continues after extra time, qualification will be decided by penalty kicks.

As for the round of 32, four of the group leaders will face the second-placed teams in their groups, while the eight leaders will face the third-placed teams. On the other hand, the rest of the second-placed teams will face each other to complete the matches of this round.

The tournament then continues in a straight knockout system with quarter-finals, quarter-finals and semi-finals leading up to the final match that decides the 2026 World Cup champion.