The Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was spectacular. From penalty shootouts to remarkable comebacks and massive upsets, it had it all. With the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 standings now settled, eight teams remain in contention to lift the trophy.
The Round of 16 field for the World Cup 2026 was determined following the conclusion of the Round of 32, a stage where teams like Germany, the Netherlands, Croatia, Senegal, and Japan were eliminated. Even the most confident World Cup predictions for the Round of 16 would have struggled to account for every result, given the number of upsets.
None of the Hosts Reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup Quarter-Finals
The Round of 16 of the World Cup kicked off with a dominant performance by Morocco against Canada. The Atlas Lions scored three goals in the second half to dispatch Canada, but Les Rouges weren’t the only host nation to be eliminated at this stage.
Mexico and the United States suffered the same fate in the World Cup’s Round of 16. El Tri fought hard against England, but they couldn’t recover from a first-half brace from Jude Bellingham and lost 3-2 to a 10-man Three Lions side.
The USMNT suffered an even more disappointing exit, as they lost 4-1 to Belgium in a match that will always be remembered for FIFA’s decision to overturn Folarin Balogun’s red card. The AS Monaco striker couldn’t save the Stars and Stripes.
Norway’s Stunning Upset Adds to Brazil’s World Cup Disappointment
Norway secured one of the biggest wins in their history with a 2-1 victory over Brazil in the Round of 16 thanks to a second-half Erling Haaland brace. The Manchester City striker has scored seven goals in four World Cup appearances and remains firmly in contention in the Golden Boot race with Lionel Messi (eight goals), Kylian Mbappe (seven), and Harry Kane (six).
Miami👋🏻 pic.twitter.com/njd2IQDb07
— Fotballandslaget (@nff_landslag) July 6, 2026
The victory not only represents Norway’s best-ever World Cup result but also stands as yet another disappointment for Brazil, who haven’t won the title since triumphing at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. They’ve advanced beyond the quarter-finals just once in their last six World Cups.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Make Their Final World Cup Appearances
Neymar announced his retirement from the Brazil national team following the loss to Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16, and he did so in style by scoring his team’s only goal of the match.
He wasn’t the only superstar to bid farewell, as Cristiano Ronaldo also revealed this was his final World Cup after Portugal fell 1-0 to Spain thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino.
⏹️ 90+6’ Fim de jogo em Dallas.#PORESP | 0-1 | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ASH5Q73q9F
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) July 6, 2026
Ronaldo ends his World Cup career as the only player in tournament history to score in six different editions. Although he never managed to lead Portugal to the trophy, his contributions on soccer’s biggest stage won’t be forgotten.
The Favourites Continue To March On Despite Complications
France and Argentina remain on course for a repeat of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final, although both teams had to work hard to reach the quarter-finals.
Les Bleus were involved in a cagey, tight affair against a Paraguay side that had beaten Germany on penalties. La Albirroja struggled to contain France’s power, and in the end, a second-half penalty from Mbappe secured their victory.
Meanwhile, Argentina delivered one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history against Egypt. Trailing by two goals in the 78th minute, La Albiceleste won 3-2 after Enzo Fernandez scored the winner with a header in stoppage time. That victory set up a meeting with Switzerland, who needed a penalty shootout to defeat Colombia after 120 goalless minutes.
𝖶𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝖢𝗎𝗉 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟨 – 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖥𝗂𝗏𝖾 | 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/gRUXdhkfuv
— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) July 7, 2026
As expected, Messi once again made the difference, contributing a goal and an assist after missing a penalty in the first half. That miss saw Messi set a new record – he became the first player in World Cup history to miss two penalties in the same tournament.
European Supremacy Stands Out in 2026 FIFA World Cup Quarter-Finals Bracket
The World Cup Round of 16 bracket included seven European teams. Six of them advanced to the quarter-finals, and the only one that didn’t, Portugal, faced another European side in Spain.
As a result, six of the eight quarter-finalists represent Europe. The only non-European teams still in contention are Morocco and Argentina.
2026 FIFA World Cup: Quarter-Finals Schedule
