When will the United States find out who it will face in the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup?
The USMNT has already secured Group D after wins over Paraguay and Australia, and will begin the knockout rounds on July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. However, the specific opponent will not be known until the completion of the group stage games on Saturday.
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With the World Cup’s expansion to 48 teams, the format for the knockout rounds has changed. In 2022, 16 of the 32 teams progressed, with the top two from each of the eight groups moving on.
In 2026, there will be 12 groups of four teams. The top two teams from each group will advance, along with eight teams that finish third in their respective groups.
World Cup schedule | Group schedule, results | Standings
How Third-Place Teams are Selected for the Knockout Rounds
The eight third-place teams that accumulate the most points will advance. In cases where teams are tied on points, goal differential and total goals scored are the primary tiebreakers, followed by fair play score, which is based on the number of yellow and red cards accumulated during the group stage—fewer cards result in a better fair play score.
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After identifying the eight teams advancing as third-place finishers, they will be arranged into the knockout rounds using one of nearly 500 combinations that FIFA tested prior to the tournament.
Instead of being assigned to the Round of 32 slots based on points from the group stages, teams are placed according to their group origins.
For instance, if the third-place teams from Groups E, F, G, H, I, J, K, and L are the top eight, then Mexico would face the third-place team from Group E. However, if the third-place team from Group D advances at the expense of Group E, and the others from F, G, H, I, J, K, and L qualify, then Mexico would play the team from Group H in the Round of 32.
Got all that? Great! Let’s move on to the important details.
The United States men’s national team has secured Group D and is set to advance to the knockout stage.
(Sebastian Frej via Getty Images)
Who Could the U.S. Face?
Due to the combinations established prior to the tournament, we know that if the United States wins its group, it will compete against a third-place team from Groups B, E, F, I, or J in the first knockout round, as teams from the same group cannot face each other until the quarterfinals.
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As of Tuesday morning, the U.S. is projected to face Algeria from Group J, according to the BBC’s live tracker. Algeria recently claimed a 2-1 victory over Jordan late Monday night, putting them at three points with a minus-2 goal differential.
According to projections from The Athletic, Bosnia and Herzegovina from Group B has the highest chance of being the U.S. opponent with a 58% likelihood. Both Qatar and Senegal follow closely behind. Qatar, also in Group B, will be facing Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday. Since both have one point from two games, the outcome of that match could also determine the U.S.’s Round of 32 opponent. A draw would create additional scenarios for the USMNT’s potential matchup.
Senegal, after losing to France in its opener, is scheduled to play Norway on Monday night. Senegal is considered one of the strongest teams in Africa, and they would present a serious challenge for the U.S. if they meet in the first knockout round.
When and Where Will the U.S. Play in the Knockout Rounds?
The U.S. winning Group D has determined the dates and venues for their potential knockout round appearances. Here’s the schedule if they progress through each round:
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Round of 32: July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California
Round of 16: July 6 at Lumen Field in Seattle
Quarterfinals: July 10 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
Semi-finals: July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
Final: July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey