10 June 2026
World Cup 2026 Round of 32: how it works
For the first time, the World Cup knockouts begin with a Round of 32. Here is how those 32 places are filled from the 12 groups.
12
Group winners
12
Runners-up
8
Best thirds
32
Into the knockouts
Every group's top two go through automatically, and the eight best third-placed teams complete the bracket. FIFA's official allocation table then decides which third-placed team is paired with which group winner, so no group rivals meet again too soon.
Our predictor applies that exact allocation for you — pick the eight third-placed teams and the Round of 32 lines up correctly.