The first goal of all 32 teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup was to get to the knockout stages.
Any player or coach will tell you that anything may happen in the single-elimination knockout stage. Teams don’t care how they get there, for this reason. They only want to arrive.
Depending on the teams who qualify and where they finish in their group, some paths in the knockouts will prove to be easier than others. Matchups in the Round of 16 are all predetermined, with teams being placed depending on how they performed in their respective groups.
Teams in Round of 16
Following the second round of group matches, six additional teams have joined France, who became the first team to advance to the Round of 16 on November 26:
- France (Group D)
- Brazil (Group G)
- Portugal (Group H)
- Netherlands (Group A)
- Senegal (Group A)
- England (Group B)
- USA (Group B)
The last four countries confirmed their group placement after the close of Groups A and B, the other three have to wait until later in the week to know whether they’ll advance as a group winner or runner-up.
The Sporting News will update the table below as the nations secure places.
| Group Winner | Runner-up | |
| Group A | Netherlands | Senegal |
| Group B | England | USA |
| Group C | ||
| Group D | ||
| Group E | ||
| Group F | ||
| Group G | ||
| Group H |
World Cup Round of 16 fixtures
The Round of 16 matchups are predetermined, and as teams clinch first or second place in their respective groups, the bracket is filled out.
World Cup Round of 16
| Date | Match | Time (ET / GMT) | Stadium |
| Sat, Dec. 3 | Netherlands vs. USA | 10 a.m. / 3 p.m. | Khalifa Int’l |
| Sat, Dec. 3 | 1C vs. 2D | 2 p.m. / 7 p.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali |
| Sun, Dec. 4 | 1D vs. 2C | 10 a.m. / 3 p.m. | Al Thumama |
| Sun, Dec. 4 | England vs. Senegal | 2 p.m. / 7 p.m. | Al Bayt |
| Mon, Dec. 5 | 1E vs. 2F | 10 a.m. / 3 p.m. | Al Janoub |
| Mon, Dec. 5 | 1G vs. 2H | 2 p.m. / 7 p.m. | Stadium 974 |
| Tue, Dec. 6 | 1F vs. 2E | 10 a.m. / 3 p.m. | Education City |
| Tue, Dec. 6 | 1H vs. 2G | 2 p.m. / 7 p.m. | Lusail |
World Cup bracket Round of 16
Below is a bracket with two sides. There will be a World Cup finalist from each, too.
The following groups of teams make up one side of the bracket, from which a winner will be chosen:
- Netherlands (Group A winner)
- USA (Group B runner-up)
- Group C winner
- Group D runner-up
- Group E winner
- Group F runner-up
- Group G winner
- Group H runner-up
The other side of the bracket will produce the other World Cup finalist from the following list:
- Senegal (Group A runner-up)
- England (Group B winner)
- Group C runner-up
- Group D winner
- Group E runner-up
- Group F winner
- Group G runner-up
- Group H winner
How does Round of 16 work in World Cup?
The knockout rounds, often known as the Round of 16, begin with this round because every match after this is single elimination.
No points are obtained. No standings exist. There are only winners and losers.
What happens if knockout matches finish tied?
Each Round of 16 match and any following knockout round match must have a winner on the day. After 90 minutes of regulation time, if there is a tie between the teams, a 30-minute overtime phase is played.
The team that advances to the quarterfinals will be decided by a penalty shootout if the score remains tied after the additional 30 minutes of play.
Prior to the World Cup Draw, the pairings for the Round of 16 are decided. Teams who place first in their respective groups during the group stage face off against runners-up.
How World Cup teams progress
After winning their respective regions’ qualifying matches, 32 teams make it to the World Cup.
Group Stage
The group stage is the first challenge they will face once they get at the World Cup. The 32 teams were divided up into eight groups in 2022, each with four teams.
The round-robin format of the group stage sees each team playing the other three teams once. In the group stage, each victory is worth three points, a tie is for one, and a loss is worth none.
Each group’s top two teams continue to the knockout round, and the runners-up are placed in a pre-made bracket that begins with the Round of 16.
Knockout Rounds
Every match, from the Round of 16 through the championship, is a single elimination. Following the Round of 16, teams move on to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final.
As previously stated, if teams are tied after 90 minutes of regulation play, the teams play 30 minutes of overtime and then, if necessary, a penalty shootout.
