June 28, 2026 marked the start of the knockout round at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The recent Round of 32 spread its games across venues in North America. Yahoo Sports posted an updated schedule and live scores that showed which teams moved on to the Round of 16. Iran bowed out in this first round. The action kicked off in several cities at once.
The Athletic, TODAY.com and ESPN released bracket predictions on Sunday. Their charts highlighted possible upsets and traced each team's road to the final. Analysts additionally posted schedules and betting odds as that field got smaller. Fans could see the likely matchups for the next rounds. The outlook set the tone for the coming weeks.