United News of Bangladesh

The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on Saturday with the Round of 16, as the remaining teams compete for places in the quarterfinals. The 16 teams advanced after winning their Round of 32 matches. The qualified teams are Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, Morocco, Norway, France, Mexico, England, Belgium, The United States, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Egypt, Argentina and Colombia. Canada booked its place with a 1-0 win over South Africa, while Brazil defeated Japan 2-1. Paraguay edged Germany 4-3 in a penalty shootout after their match ended level, and Morocco beat the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties. Norway advanced with a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, France defeated Sweden 3-0, Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 and England overcame DR Congo 2-1. Belgium secured a 3-2 win over Senegal, the United States defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, Spain beat Austria 3-0 and Portugal overcame Croatia 2-1. Switzerland defeated Algeria 2-0, Egypt knocked out Australia 4-2 in a penalty shootout, Argentina beat Cape Verde 3-2 and Colombia edged Ghana 1-0. Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored his seventh goal of the tournament against Cape Verde and is currently the leading contender for the Golden Boot award. The Round of 16 fixtures are: Saturday, July 4: Canada vs Morocco in Houston (1700 GMT); Paraguay vs France in Philadelphia (2100 GMT). Sunday, July 5: Brazil vs Norway in New York/New Jersey (2000 GMT); Mexico vs England in Mexico City (0000 GMT on Monday). Monday, July 6: Portugal vs Spain in Dallas (1900 GMT); United States vs Belgium in Seattle (0000 GMT on Tuesday). Tuesday, July 7: Argentina vs Egypt in Atlanta (1600 GMT); Switzerland vs Colombia in Vancouver's BC Place Stadium (2000 GMT). Source: AL Jazeera