World Cup 2026 Groups & Bracket Guide

For the first time, the World Cup has 12 groups of four teams. Here is how qualification and the new Round of 32 bracket work.

How teams qualify from the groups

• The top two teams in each of the 12 groups advance (24 teams).
• The eight best third-placed teams also advance.
• That gives 32 teams for the Round of 32.

The knockout bracket

From the Round of 32 it is single-elimination: Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, the third-place match and the final on 19 July 2026. Track every tie — and predict the whole bracket — in FootballMojo.