The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the first tournament in the competition nearly century-long history to feature 48 national teams and an expanded Round of 32 knockout stage. Spanning an unprecedented 104 matches across 16 world-class venues spread throughout the three host nations of the United States Mexico and Canada it was by any measure the largest and most logistically ambitious football tournament ever organized. Here is the complete archive of every result from every knockout round match. The group stage sent 32 teams into the knockout bracket using a new qualification formula: the top two finishers from each of the 12 groups advanced automatically while the eight best third-placed teams across all groups also progressed creating the first ever Round of 32 in World Cup history.
This extra knockout round added a thrilling new layer of drama and unpredictability before the traditional Round of 16 began. In the Round of 32 the biggest and most headline-grabbing shock came when Morocco eliminated four-time champion Germany by a score of 2-1 continuing their extraordinary giant-killing reputation that they first established during their historic semi-final run at Qatar 2022. Japan edged past Croatia on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw through 120 minutes. Brazil routed South Korea 4-0 in a display of attacking power.
Argentina cruised comfortably past the Netherlands 3-1. Spain dispatched Senegal 3-0 without ever needing to find their highest gear. The Round of 16 saw England survive a legitimate scare against Senegal eventually winning 3-2 after extra time in one of the most entertaining matches of the entire tournament. Spain eliminated Brazil 2-1 in what was widely considered the most anticipated match of the round.
France dispatched Belgium 2-0 with controlled efficiency. Argentina beat Croatia 2-1. The quarter-finals delivered genuine classic knockout drama. Argentina versus Uruguay was a fierce and passionate South American derby ultimately settled by a Lautaro Martinez winner in the 83rd minute after a match of extraordinary physical intensity.
Spain needed penalties to overcome a stubborn Portugal side after a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes of technically brilliant but tactically cagey football. The semi-finals saw Spain produce their finest performance of the tournament a comprehensive 3-0 victory over England that was never seriously in doubt from the opening whistle. The other semi-final featured Argentina against Brazil in a Superclasico for the ages ending 2-2 after extra time and won by Argentina on penalties. The third-place match between England and France was the highest-scoring game of the knockout stage ending 6-4 to England in an exhibition-style thriller.
The final Spain 1-0 Argentina after extra time was settled by a single 108th minute goal at New York New Jersey Stadium. Source: FIFA WorldCupLocalTime.com HistoricalSoccer.com The tournament kicks off in June 2028 with the opening ceremony and first match at Wembley Stadium in London. The final will also be held at Wembley reprising its role from the memorable Euro 2020 tournament where Italy defeated England on penalties in front of a passionate home crowd. The expanded five-nation hosting model represents a new chapter in European Championship history.