WC26 Daily Hub · Knockout Projection

The Bracket

As it stands — current standings projected as final 4 of 72 group matches played

How to read this page

If the group tables froze right now, who would meet whom — and how far would each side go? The draw is a lookup; the run beyond it is the model's best guess.

The draw (a lookup)

The 2026 bracket is fixed in advance — no post-group draw. Group winners, runners-up and the eight best third-placed teams drop into predetermined slots (matches 73–104), with the thirds assigned by the FIFA regulations' 495-row Annex C table. So who reaches the Round of 32 is settled, not forecast.

The run (a projection)

Beyond the R32, each tie is played out by the model: the projected advancer is shown in green with its chance to advance (90′ + extra time + a coin-flip shootout). Groups that haven't kicked off show abstract slots (Winner E, Best 3rd of …); The eight group-winner-vs-best-third matches aren’t resolved yet — they fill in once all twelve groups have a standing and the third-place cutline is settled. The cascade only extends as far as both sides of a tie are known, and it all shifts with every result.

R32 → Final

The Draw, As It Stands

Read it left to right and follow the lines: each match feeds the slot it connects to. Linked names hold their group position as it stands; italic and blank slots are still open. Scroll sideways on a narrow screen.

  1. Round of 32

    • Winner EBest 3rd of A/B/C/D/F
    • Winner IBest 3rd of C/D/F/G/H
    • Winner FRunner-up C
    • Runner-up KRunner-up L
    • Winner HRunner-up J
    • United StatesBest 3rd of B/E/F/I/J
    • Winner GBest 3rd of A/E/H/I/J
    • Winner CRunner-up F
    • Runner-up ERunner-up I
    • MexicoBest 3rd of C/E/F/H/I
    • Winner LBest 3rd of E/H/I/J/K
    • Winner JRunner-up H
    • AustraliaRunner-up G
    • Bosnia and HerzegovinaBest 3rd of E/F/G/I/J
    • Winner KBest 3rd of D/E/I/J/L
  2. Round of 16

  3. Quarter-finals

  4. Semi-finals

  5. Final

Third-place play-off

The two semi-final losers