Colombia's 1-0 victory over Ghana in the last match of the round of 16 has closed the list of 16 teams participating in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
According to the schedule, the round of 16 matches will take place from July 5 to 8 (Vietnam time). After the first knockout round ends, World Cup 2026 only has 16 teams competing for 8 tickets to the quarterfinals.
The eight matches of the round of 16 include: Canada vs. Morocco, Paraguay vs. France, Brazil vs. Norway, Mexico vs. England, Portugal vs. Spain, USA vs. Belgium, Argentina vs. Egypt and Switzerland vs. Colombia.
Among these, the confrontation between Portugal and Spain is considered the focus of the round. The two leading football nations of the Iberian Peninsula both passed the round of 16 with convincing performances. Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1, while Spain overcame Austria with a score of 3-0.
Another notable match is the confrontation between Brazil and Norway. The South American representative won 2-1 against Japan to advance, while Norway defeated Ivory Coast with the same score. The highlight of the match is expected to be the confrontation between Brazil's experienced defense and striker Erling Haaland.
Host Mexico will face England after successively overcoming Ecuador and the DRC. Meanwhile, Canada - co-host of the 2026 World Cup will face Morocco, who just created a surprise by eliminating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout.
Paraguay also became a phenomenon of the round of 16 when they defeated Germany in a penalty shootout and will face France, one of the top candidates for the championship after a 3-0 victory over Sweden.
In the remaining area of the bracket, the US team will meet Belgium. The CONCACAF representative defeated Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0, while Belgium won a thrilling 3-2 victory over Senegal after extra time.
The reigning champion Argentina will face Egypt. The South American team had to struggle to overcome Cabo Verde with a score of 3-2, while Egypt defeated Australia in a penalty shootout.
In the final match, Colombia won minimally against Ghana to qualify for Switzerland. This is considered a fairly balanced match as both teams possess disciplined play and good organization.
