The World Cup’s opening stage has featured three days of thrilling, group-ending simultaneous action (the kind of action that won’t be possible starting in 2026, if FIFA continues on its current plan regarding World Cup expansion), and as a result, the knockout bracket is coming into focus.
With one day of group play remaining in Qatar, six of the eight round-of-16 games are set, with three-quarters of each side of the knockout bracket already known. Two teams that have already secured their last-16 berths, Brazil out of Group G and Portugal out of Group H, are just waiting to find out where they finish in their groups, while two other spots remain to be clinched.