The 2026 knockout bracket simulator
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 48 teams for the first time, split into 12 groups of four. Co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026, it introduces a new knockout format that starts at the round of 32.
So who can your team actually meet once it leaves the group? Pick a country, set where it finishes in its group (1st, 2nd or 3rd), and the simulator walks the official bracket to list every possible opponent, round by round, all the way to the final.
How to read a team's path
The calculation follows the official bracket from the FIFA draw. You have three levers:
- The country: pick one of the 48 qualified nations from the menu.
- The group standings: by ordering a group you set each team's finishing position (1st, 2nd or 3rd). Possible opponents then become concrete teams, and the 4th-placed side of a completed group is eliminated automatically. For a 3rd, only the 8 best third-placed teams advance: until those 8 are set, the tool shows every crossing allowed by the rules.
- The best third-placed ranking: once the 8 qualified thirds are chosen, the other 4 are eliminated and each group winner is assigned its exact round-of-32 opponent, following FIFA's official table of 495 combinations (Annex C of the regulations).
At every round — round of 32, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final — the list narrows as you fill in results.
Host nations & headline teams
The first 48-team World Cup spans three host countries and every continent. A few headline contenders and their groups:
Hosts
- United States (Group D) — with Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye.
- Mexico (Group A) — with South Africa, South Korea and Czechia.
- Canada (Group B) — with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland.
Favourites
- Brazil (Group C) — with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
- Argentina (Group J) — with Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
- France (Group I) — with Senegal, Iraq and Norway.
- Spain (Group H) — with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
- England (Group L) — with Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
- Germany (Group E) — with Curaçao, Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador.
- Portugal (Group K) — with DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
The 12 groups of the 2026 World Cup
Full group composition from the official draw of 5 December 2025:
Frequently asked questions
Who can my team face in the knockout stage?
Pick your country and set its group finish (1st, 2nd or 3rd). The simulator lists, round by round, every team it can meet from the round of 32 to the final. Enter more group standings to sharpen the prediction.
How does the 2026 knockout stage work?
With 48 teams in 12 groups of four, the top two of each group plus the 8 best third-placed teams qualify for the round of 32. The bracket then continues through the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
How are the 8 best third-placed teams assigned?
FIFA uses an official table of 495 combinations (Annex C). Once you know which 8 groups' thirds qualify, each group winner is matched to one specific third. This tool reproduces that table exactly.
Are the results official?
The simulator is based on the official FIFA bracket and draw. Until matches are played it shows all possible opponents; entering group standings and the best thirds refines the predictions.
Which countries are hosting and qualified?
The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with 48 nations qualified across all six confederations. You can simulate any of them up to the final.