FIFA World Cup round of 16: Bracket, schedule, predictions and latest news

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We have predictions and the latest news. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA Mexico fan wearing a lucha libre wrestling mask cheers during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between Mexico and Ecuador [File: AFP]By Elizabeth Melimopoulos and The Associated PressPublished On 5 Jul 20265 Jul 2026The FIFA World Cup round of 16 on Sunday has two heavyweight ties as Brazil face Norway in New Jersey before cohosts Mexico take on England in Mexico City. Here’s the full schedule, Opta’s predictions and the latest news from the tournament, including Morocco’s march into the quarterfinals and France’s fiery win over Paraguay. Brazil will be hoping to end an unwanted trend when they face Norway in the round of 16. The teams have met four times previously in all competitions, and Norway have yet to lose the fixture. The Scandinavians have won twice and drawn twice, including a memorable 2-1 victory over Brazil at the 1998 World Cup. Despite those historical trends, the Opta supercomputer calculates Brazil as the clear favourites. After running 25,000 pre-match simulations, Brazil won in regulation time in 53.6 percent of the outcomes. Norway claimed victory within 90 minutes in 22.4 percent of the simulations while 24 percent ended level after normal time, sending the tie to extra time and potentially penalties. England and Mexico have crossed paths only once before at the World Cup, and that meeting dates back nearly 60 years. The encounter came during the group stage of the 1966 tournament when tournament hosts England secured a 2-0 victory, thanks to goals from Bobby Charlton and Roger Hunt. The Three Lions went on to lift the trophy that summer, claiming the only World Cup title in their history. England have also enjoyed the upper hand in the fixture outside the World Cup, winning each of their last four meetings with Mexico. Those victories all came in international friendlies played from 1986 to 2010. Opta’s supercomputer predicted one of the closest contests of the round of 16 with neither side holding a decisive advantage. England enter the tie with a favourable historical record against Mexico, but El Tri’s home support and familiarity with the conditions help narrow the gap. Across 25,000 simulations, England won in normal time 40.6 percent of the time, while Mexico did so in 31.5 percent. A further 27.9 percent of simulations ended level after 90 minutes, meaning the match would require extra time and possibly a penalty shootout. Morocco reached the World Cup quarterfinals for a second consecutive tournament after defeating cohosts Canada 3-0 on Saturday with Azzedine Ounahi scoring twice to end the North Americans’ historic run. The final score did not reflect the balance of the game. Canada controlled much of the first half, creating several promising chances while keeping Morocco from registering their first shot until the 28th minute. Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi was visibly frustrated on the touchline before the break as misplaced passes and sloppy errors disrupted his side’s rhythm, but the team responded with a much-improved display after half-time. “It’s a World Cup match, and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives,” Ouahbi said. “We reacted very well in the second half, especially in the duels and in winning the second balls. France captain Kylian Mbappe insisted his side were prepared to match Paraguay’s physical approach after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory on Saturday to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Mbappe, who converted the decisive penalty in the 70th minute after Desire Doue was fouled in the area, dismissed the suggestion that France were unsettled by Paraguay’s aggressive tactics. “They thought we’d come out in tuxedos, trying fancy tricks and one-twos,” Mbappe said. “But we know how to play dirty football too. If that’s what the game requires, we have no problem doing it.” The winning penalty was awarded only after a VAR review with France coach Didier Deschamps questioning referee Ilgiz Tantashev’s handling of the increasingly physical contest. “We received three yellow cards while they kept fouling us throughout the game,” Deschamps said. “Every team is entitled to play in its own way, but I could have done without some of the insults from the opposition.” Mexico will look to end a 40-year wait to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals when they face England on Sunday, backed by one of international football’s strongest home records. The cohosts have lost only two official matches at Mexico City Stadium since it opened in 1966 with the last defeat coming against Honduras in a World Cup qualifier in 2013. Former Mexico striker Hugo Sanchez believes the stadium could once again make the difference. “The stadium is a monster; that explains the high number of wins and draws and the few losses, which were just accidents. We approach this with optimism because we know it’s England, but if we play the way we did against Ecuador, we can beat them.” Mexico’s World Cup record at the stadium reflects that dominance. Across the 1970, 1986 and 2026 tournaments, El Tri have played 10 World Cup matches there, winning eight and drawing two. In this year’s tournament, they have beaten South Africa, Czechia and Ecuador in Mexico City without conceding a goal while also defeating South Korea in Guadalajara. 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