2026 World Cup: The first teams through to the round of 16 are confirmed

Four teams have already secured their spots in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, now underway across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Canada, Brazil, Paraguay and Morocco in the round of 16

Canada was the first nation to clinch qualification for the next round after a narrow but crucial 1-0 victory over South Africa.

Brazil soon joined the list of qualifiers by overcoming Japan 2-1.

Meanwhile, Paraguay punched their ticket after an intense showdown with Germany. Following a 1-1 draw after regular time and extra time, the South Americans prevailed in the penalty shootout.

Morocco followed the same path, eliminating the Netherlands on penalties. The Atlas Lions snatched their qualification after a fiercely contested duel, finishing 1-1 after 120 minutes of play.

Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, and Morocco have thus become the first four teams to seal their spots in the round of 16, while the outcomes of the remaining last-32 fixtures are yet to be decided.

The round of 16 will kick off on July 4 and run through to July 7.

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Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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