The 2026 FIFA World Cup is entering the knockout stage, with 48 teams reduced to 32 after the largest group stage in history. The tournament now follows a fixed bracket, with no redraws or swaps. The United States men’s national team is set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1, with the winner advancing to face the victor of Belgium vs. Senegal in the Round of 16.

Key Match Predictions

Opta’s supercomputer model has provided detailed predictions for several Tuesday matches. Norway is favored to defeat Ivory Coast, with the Scandinavian side winning 56.1 percent of 25,000 simulated matches in normal time. Ivory Coast managed a win in 21.6 percent of scenarios, with 22.3 percent resulting in a draw and a tie to extra time. Norway is strongly backed to reach the Round of 16 and potentially equal their best-ever World Cup finish.

France is heavily favored in their upcoming match against Sweden. According to the same model, France is expected to win in normal time 75.1 percent of the time, with Sweden securing a win in just 9.5 percent of simulations. A draw after 90 minutes is projected in 15.4 percent of cases. This will be the first-ever World Cup meeting between the two sides, though they have faced each other 23 times in other competitions, with France holding a 12-6 win record.

Eliminated Teams and Reactions

Turkiye have been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after failing to score in their first two matches, managing just one goal in 62 combined shots. This is the most shots without a goal in a two-match span in World Cup history since 1966. Striker Guler expressed disappointment, calling the performance ‘ashamed’ and apologizing to fans. He said, ‘We play for very important clubs and we should have shown it on the pitch. We didn’t manage it.’

Germany’s elimination at the hands of Paraguay has drawn criticism from former coach Jürgen Klinsmann, who called the result ‘an embarrassment.’ Germany was expected to progress further, but their failure to adapt to the knockout stage has left fans and analysts disappointed.

Upcoming Matchups and Bracket Highlights

Among the most anticipated knockout matches is the rematch of the 2016 European Championship final between Croatia and Portugal. Both teams still feature key stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric. In the same bracket, Norway and Ivory Coast are set to clash, with Norway’s Erling Haaland and Ivory Coast’s teenage sensation Yan Diomande highlighted as key players.

Other matches include France vs. Sweden and Mexico vs. Ecuador, with the latter having met once before at the 2002 World Cup, when Mexico won 2-1. Recent encounters between the two teams have been more balanced. The U.S. men’s team is also in action, facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in a match that will determine their path to the Round of 16.