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The knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup rolls on, and on Wednesday three more teams will advance and three more teams will exit the tournament after the round of 16. In the opening match, struggling England will be hoping to end the Cinderella run in DR Congo when the teams meet in Atlanta.
The second game takes us to Vancouver, Canada, with Belgium and Senegal both coming off the back of five-goal wins in their respective group stage finals.
Finally, co-hosts USA will return to action at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium looking for just its second knockout win ever when it hosts a Bosnia-Herzegovina side that will be challenging with its youthful roster.
Here’s everything you need to know for Wednesday at the World Cup.
When: Wednesday 1 July at 12 A.M
Where: Atlanta
TV: FOX
Current: Watch three days for free on FOX One
Contenders England take on one of the adventure stories of the tournament in DR Congo.
England entered the World Cup as one of the teams with a realistic chance of winning the title. So far it’s been decent, but hasn’t played like a superpower along the lines of France, Spain or Argentina. The Three Lions were at their best in the second half of their opening 4-2 win over Croatia. After that, it was a pedestrian effort in a 0-0 draw with Ghana, followed by a 2-0 win over Panama, with the English taking 62 minutes to get on the scoreboard.
England have plenty of firepower offensively with one of the game’s best center forwards in Harry Kane, a deep selection of wing options that includes Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham in the middle.
The biggest concern for England’s starting line-up is right-back, with both Reece James and Jarell Quansah out with injuries. That leaves Djed Spence likely to slide across the right side in the starting XI.
The question for head coach Thomas Tuchel is whether he can get his team to play with intensity from the opening whistle. It was not like that in the last two games, when England were also heavily favoured.
DR Congo are enjoying strong support from neutral fans in the US as they compete in their first World Cup since 1974. The Leopards secured a surprise knockout spot as one of the best third-placed teams after holding Portugal to a draw and staging a thrilling 3-1 comeback win over Uzbekistan. The team’s only defeat came in a 1-0 loss to Colombia.
Sébastien Desabre’s men will be highly motivated for this match as the team boasts considerable Premier League experience. This includes Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa, who has been the team’s star at the World Cup so far with three goals in the group stage.
DR Congo are expected to bring a very physical but disciplined approach to this game. The team will sit deep in a compact formation, most likely the 5-3-2 it used against Portugal, and look to break out quickly on the counter-attack.
England are the heavy favourites, but matches like this can be difficult as England are under huge pressure to progress, while DR Congo are likely to see this match as a huge opportunity with nothing to lose.
Player to watch
Real Madrid’s playmaker was man of the match in the 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday while playing a deeper role. With Declan Rice expected to return to the starting XI, Bellingham’s role will shift to focus on breaking down DR Congo’s low block. He will look to find space to open up play for Kane or the winger on either side. With Kane likely to be heavily guarded, Bellingham will also serve as a secondary scoring threat for England.
When: Wednesday 1 July at 16 A.M
Where: Seattle
TV: FS1
Current: Watch three days for free on FOX One
Wednesday’s second game takes us to the Vancouver Stadium in Canada, with Belgium and Senegal in what will be the first ever competitive meeting between the two teams.
Belgium and Senegal enter this game with similar group stage patterns. Both were underwhelming in the opening two matches, but then secured a place in the knockouts with a blowout victory in the final against the weakest team in the group.
It was never going to be an easy road for Senegal after being drawn into a group with France and Norway. As expected, Senegal lost to France, 3-1, and then to Norway, 3-2, as like most teams they were unable to stop two of the world’s best players in Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. But with eight third-placed teams progressing to the knockouts, the door was still open for Senegal if it could beat Iraq, which it did 5-0.
For Belgium, the group stage was more disappointing because the Red Devils were never an underdog. After a weak start to the tournament in a 1-1 draw with Egypt followed by a 0-0 draw with Iran, Rudi Garcia’s side were finally able to live up to their potential in a 5-1 win over New Zealand, the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup in FIFA’s world rankings.
The Red Devils lineup should have few surprises. Kevin De Bruyne remains the creative heartbeat of midfield, flanked by top wingers in Manchester City’s Jérémy Doku and Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard. The biggest question for Garcia is at center forward as Charles De Ketelaere started two of the group games and Romelu Lukaku has started once. Neither player was particularly convincing.
For Senegal, head coach Pape Thiaw relies heavily on his team’s athleticism in attack. Crystal Palace’s Ismaïla Sarr scored three goals in the group stage, Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye impressed against Iraq and veteran captain Sadio Mané remains the heart of the team despite not scoring in the group stage.
The big concern for Senegal is that star goalkeeper Edouard Mendy will miss the game due to a knee injury. Le Havre goalkeeper Mory Diaw is expected to start in his place.
Belgium are favorites in this game based on their talent, experience and recent form (the Red Devils are unbeaten in 16 matches). But Senegal are capable of pulling off an upset, and as we’ve seen, this tournament hasn’t been kind to favored European teams.
Player to watch
The Villarreal midfielder was outstanding in the 5-0 win over Iraq. After entering the game in the 56th minute, Gueye had two goals and an assist to complete the run needed in the goal difference tiebreaker. That effort from the bench will likely see Gueye return to the team’s starting line-up, but for now he should be extremely confident in his form.
When: Wednesday 1 July at 20 A.M
Where: San Francisco Bay Area
TV: FOX
Current: Watch three days for free on FOX One
The USA returns to the field to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 16 in what should be an electric pro-USA crowd at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium during drinks.
After earning six points from the group stage with wins over Paraguay and Australia along with a loss to Türkiye, many will see the American team as favorites in this game. But historical factors tell a different story for Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
Starting with the 1990 World Cup, the US national team’s record against European teams in this tournament is abysmal. With the loss to Türkiye last week, the USA has now faced European teams 21 times in the World Cup. During that time, the team has won just once, in the 3-2 win over Portugal in the opener in 2002. Meanwhile, the team has drawn seven times while losing 13 times.
In terms of knockouts, since 1990 the US team has only won one World Cup knockout while losing five.
The good news for Pochettino’s side is that its entire starting line-up from the 4-1 win over Paraguay is now healthy and ready for selection. That includes Christian Pulisic, who missed the win over Australia with a calf injury, as well as Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards, who did not play against Türkiye to avoid the risk of a yellow card sending off in this match.
Offensively, the keys for the American team involve winger Christian Pulisic and his ability to dribble against opponents to open up space for his teammates. Meanwhile, Folarin Balogun was very dangerous in the first two games. If his teammates can get him the ball, he is a lethal finisher. The midfield trio of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman will look to control possession and dictate the tempo.
Christian Pulisic should be back in the lineup (Getty Images)
Bosnia-Herzegovina will by no means be an easy test for the American team. Sergej Barbarez’s team boasts a nicely mixed roster that includes experience and youthful energy. Both were on display in the team’s 3-1 win over Qatar to clinch the team’s place in the knockouts. Salzburg left midfielder Kerim Alajbegovic, 18, was the best player on the pitch in that game and his highlight was scoring the opening goal. Ermin Mahmic, 21, was also important from the bench as he scored the final goal.
Then there is PSV Eindhoven winger Esmir Bajraktarević, 21, who will get a lot of attention in this match as he was born and raised in Wisconsin. He began his professional career with the New England Revolution and played for years with the US youth national teams before moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina (where his parents were born) in 2024.
On the other side of the age equation, the team’s leading goalscorer in Edin Džeko remains key to Bosnia’s attack. In the win over Qatar, Džeko was very active as his header forced Qatar’s own goal in the 34th minute. Then, just before the break, he almost scored when his shot hit the post.
This should be an emotional game with both teams looking to pick up what would be a historically important victory for their national team programs. The American team wants to achieve a victory that will inspire a new generation of fans to fall in love with the sport and the team. Bosnia and Herzegovina are looking to win their first ever World Cup knockout game with a roster that is made up of many exciting young players.
Player to watch
The Juventus midfielder is extremely important to the American team. When he plays well, the team plays well. When he doesn’t, the team struggles. He is a unique and special player when he is in good form. He can play a variety of positions, often changing over the course of a single game. He can dribble, and he can pass, and he can use his size to his advantage. In the early parts of this tournament, McKennie was at his best – and there should be no reason to expect anything else in this game.
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