World Cup 2026 Knockout Stage Rules Explained
The 2026 FIFA World Cup introduces a Round of 32 knockout stage featuring 32 teams: the top two from each of the 12 groups plus the eight best third-placed teams. From there, it is a single-elimination tournament through Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and the Final, with matches decided by extra time and penalties if tied. All fixtures are tracked in East Africa Time (EAT, UTC+3) on Pulser.