The 2026 FIFA World Cup's round of 16 continued on Sunday, with further knockout fixtures staged across host venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The matches followed the conclusion of an expanded group stage that, for the first time, featured 48 national teams. The tournament, jointly hosted by the three North American nations, has already drawn record aggregate attendances, according to FIFA.
Stadiums including MetLife in New Jersey, AT&T in Arlington and the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City have hosted matches throughout June, with organisers reporting strong ticket demand for the knockout phase. Toronto staged its final group-stage fixture in recent days, with Senegal and Iraq supporters travelling to BMO Field, before the host city's role in the tournament concluded.
Attention has now shifted to the single-elimination rounds, where extra time and penalty shootouts can decide ties. The winners of Sunday's fixtures advance to the quarter-finals, scheduled to begin in early July ahead of the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has described the expanded format as the most commercially successful World Cup in the organisation's history. Squad fitness has emerged as a challenge for several federations, with medical staff managing player workloads through a congested summer schedule. Coaches have expressed concern over heat and recovery times between matches in the multi-venue tournament.