World Cup 2026 Round of 16 — Fixtures, Odds and Preview
Available in USThe last 16 of the 2026 World Cup begins on Saturday, 4 July and runs to Tuesday, 7 July, two ties a day. Six of the eight pairings are already confirmed; the final two are settled by the last Round of 32 matches on 3 July. This reference page lists every tie with its Irish kick-off time, venue and fractional odds, flags the heat-affected fixtures, and sets out the storylines — an all-Iberian tie, England at the Azteca and Kylian Mbappé chasing an all-time record — for Irish viewers.
Contents
- 1. Round of 16 at a glance
- 2. Confirmed ties and odds
- 3. Odds board
- 4. Storylines to watch
- 5. Heat and venue notes
- 6. Irish viewing guide
- 7. Frequently asked questions
- The Round of 16 runs 4–7 July, two ties per day; the winners reach the quarter-finals from 8 July.
- Spain v Portugal (6 July) is the standout — an all-Iberian tie between the tournament’s only side yet to concede and Ronaldo’s Portugal.
- France (2/9 to beat Paraguay) and Colombia’s conquerors-in-waiting aside, the shortest single price is France; Mexico v England is rated a near coin-flip.
- Paraguay v France (Philadelphia, 4 July) falls under an official Extreme Heat Warning, with cooling breaks likely.
1. Round of 16 at a glance {#glance}
This is the first World Cup with a 48-team field, so a Round of 32 preceded the last 16. The eight Round of 16 winners advance to the quarter-finals. Kick-off times below are converted to Irish Standard Time (IST = ET + 5h); most ties fall between 5:00 pm and 1:00 am IST.
| Tie | Date | Kick-off (IST) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| M89 — Canada vs Morocco | Sat 4 Jul | 6:00 pm | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| M90 — Paraguay vs France | Sat 4 Jul | 10:00 pm | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| M91 — Brazil vs Norway | Sun 5 Jul | 9:00 pm | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| M92 — Mexico vs England | Mon 6 Jul (1:00 am) | 1:00 am | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| M93 — Spain vs Portugal | Mon 6 Jul | 8:00 pm | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| M94 — USA vs Belgium | Tue 7 Jul (1:00 am) | 1:00 am | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| M95 — Aus/Egy winner vs Arg/CPV winner | Tue 7 Jul | 5:00 pm | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| M96 — Switzerland vs Col/Gha winner | Tue 7 Jul | 9:00 pm | BC Place, Vancouver |
Mexico vs England kicks off 8:00 pm ET on 5 July, which is 1:00 am IST in the early hours of 6 July; USA vs Belgium is 8:00 pm ET on 6 July, 1:00 am IST on 7 July.
2. Confirmed ties and odds {#ties}
2.1 Saturday 4 July {#july-4}
Canada vs Morocco (M89) opens the round in Houston. Morocco arrive on a four-match unbeaten run after knocking out the Netherlands on penalties and have never lost to Canada (four meetings). Alphonso Davies returns for the co-hosts. Paraguay vs France (M90) in Philadelphia pits the tournament’s heaviest scorers, France, against the giant-killers who eliminated Germany on penalties. It revives their 1998 meeting, settled by a France golden goal.
2.2 Sunday 5 July {#july-5}
Brazil vs Norway (M91) at MetLife is the pick of the day: Brazil edged Japan 2-1 with a 95th-minute Martinelli winner, while Erling Haaland’s Norway saw off Ivory Coast. Mexico vs England (M92) takes England to the Estadio Azteca, where the co-hosts have never lost a World Cup match; the ~2,240 m altitude is the defining factor (see storylines).
2.3 Monday 6 July {#july-6}
Spain vs Portugal (M93) in Arlington is the tie of the round — Spain have not conceded all tournament, Portugal carry Ronaldo’s late-career form. USA vs Belgium (M94) in Seattle is rated a near coin-flip; the co-hosts are without the suspended Folarin Balogun.
2.4 Tuesday 7 July {#july-7}
The two ties settled on 3 July complete the round: M95 in Atlanta pairs the Australia/Egypt winner with the Argentina/Cape Verde winner, and M96 in Vancouver sends Switzerland against the Colombia/Ghana winner. Both are tracked on the 3 July predictions page.
3. Odds board {#odds}
Fractional (Irish primary), decimal in brackets, from a screen-verified 1X2 aggregate as of 3 July. "1" is the first-named team to win in 90 minutes; "X" is level after 90 minutes (tie goes to extra time and penalties).
| Tie | Team 1 | Draw (90) | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada vs Morocco | 21/5 (5.20) | 13/5 (3.60) | 5/6 (1.83) |
| Paraguay vs France | 35/2 (18.50) | 13/2 (7.50) | 2/9 (1.22) |
| Brazil vs Norway | 19/20 (1.95) | 29/10 (3.90) | 16/5 (4.20) |
| Mexico vs England | 9/4 (3.25) | 9/4 (3.25) | 3/2 (2.47) |
| Spain vs Portugal | 19/20 (1.95) | 27/10 (3.70) | 16/5 (4.20) |
| USA vs Belgium | 7/4 (2.72) | 5/2 (3.50) | 7/4 (2.77) |
France (2/9) are the shortest price of any side in the round; Spain (19/20 vs Portugal) and Brazil (19/20 vs Norway) are narrow favourites in tighter ties. Mexico vs England and USA vs Belgium are the two closest on the board. For the tournament-winner market, see our outright winner odds.
4. Storylines to watch {#storylines}
- Mbappé chases Messi’s record. Kylian Mbappé has 18 career World Cup goals (six this tournament, level with Messi in the Golden Boot race) and is one short of Messi’s all-time record of 19, with Paraguay up first.
- An all-Iberian last-16 tie. Spain, unbeaten and yet to concede, meet Portugal, buoyed by Ronaldo’s first-ever knockout goal — the pick of the round.
- England and the altitude. England manager Thomas Tuchel says the Azteca’s altitude “cannot be adapted to” in the days available; Mexico have never lost a World Cup match there.
- Giant-killers Paraguay. Paraguay reached the last 16 by eliminating Germany on penalties — their first knockout win since 2010.
The full Golden Boot picture is on our World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race page, and the marquee England tie in our Mexico vs England preview.
5. Heat and venue notes {#heat}
A record heat wave sits over central and eastern North America through 4 July. The standout risk is Paraguay vs France at Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, 4 July), under an official National Weather Service Extreme Heat Warning covering kick-off — a high near 38°C (101°F) and a heat index up to about 41°C (105°F), with cooling breaks and hydration protocols likely. The Houston (NRG) tie can be played under a closed roof with air conditioning. By 5 July the heat eases at MetLife, while the Azteca stays mild at altitude — its risk is a wet-season thunderstorm delay, not heat.
6. Irish viewing guide {#irish-viewing}
Every match is free-to-air in Ireland, shared between RTÉ and Virgin Media, with RTÉ-broadcast games also streamed on the RTÉ Player. The Round of 16 schedule suits Irish viewers: the 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm IST slots cover the marquee ties, with the two North-American-hosted late games (Mexico v England, USA v Belgium) kicking off at 1:00 am IST. England’s tie with Mexico carries the usual cross-channel following even with the Republic absent.
7. Frequently asked questions {#faq}
Sources (3 July 2026): fixtures and bracket (Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, FIFA); odds (screen-verified 1X2 aggregate, converted to fractional); weather (NWS Mount Holly, NWS Houston, easeweather/AccuWeather); Tuchel quote (Sky Sports); RTÉ/Virgin Media coverage per RTÉ. Kick-off times converted to IST (ET + 5h). Odds for information only — 18+, gamble responsibly.
Related: World Cup 2026 Groups · World Cup 2026 Schedule (Ireland) · World Cup 2026 Odds
