Thirty-two survivors walk the tunnel into single elimination — five steps between the group stage and the crown, with a Round of 32 opening the path for the first time in World Cup history. TBD means the seat is still being fought over.
32
Ties
0
Sealed
0
Decided
Round of 32
The gate opens
28 Jun · 00:00 UTC
29 Jun · 00:00 UTC
29 Jun · 00:00 UTC
29 Jun · 00:00 UTC
30 Jun · 00:00 UTC
30 Jun · 00:00 UTC
30 Jun · 00:00 UTC
1 Jul · 00:00 UTC
1 Jul · 00:00 UTC
1 Jul · 00:00 UTC
2 Jul · 00:00 UTC
2 Jul · 00:00 UTC
2 Jul · 00:00 UTC
3 Jul · 00:00 UTC
3 Jul · 00:00 UTC
3 Jul · 00:00 UTC
Round of 16
Sixteen claims left
4 Jul · 00:00 UTC
4 Jul · 00:00 UTC
5 Jul · 00:00 UTC
5 Jul · 00:00 UTC
6 Jul · 00:00 UTC
6 Jul · 00:00 UTC
7 Jul · 00:00 UTC
7 Jul · 00:00 UTC
Quarterfinals
The inner court
9 Jul · 00:00 UTC
10 Jul · 00:00 UTC
11 Jul · 00:00 UTC
11 Jul · 00:00 UTC
Semifinals
Two steps from the throne
14 Jul · 00:00 UTC
15 Jul · 00:00 UTC
The Coronation
One night, one crown
The Throne Decided
19 Jul · 00:00 UTC
Third-Place Match
Bronze before the ceremony
18 Jul · 00:00 UTC
When do ties lock in?
The Round of 32 seals the moment the group stage closes and the lifeline ranking is final. From there the path fills itself, step by step, winner by winner.
TBD is a fight, not a gap
A TBD seat means the slot and its kickoff window are official while two contenders are still battling for it. Check back after the next matchday.
Reading the path
Decided ties highlight the winner in green. Follow the green claims up the roman-numeral steps — Step V is the coronation.