The Round of 16 pairings are all prearranged with teams fitting in based on their placement in their respective groups (group champion or group second-place finisher). Certain routes will be less challenging than others in the knockout stage, depending on the teams that advance and on which side of the bracket each team ends up on.
A strong performance by the team can lead to a successful run in the first round, where they will be matched with a runner-up from a different group who also secured a victory.
The Sporting News provides all the information you require about the Round of 16.
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Each team in their respective groups secured either first or second position, and the bracket was completed with the prearranged pairings for the Round of 16.
Round of 16 in the FIFA World Cup
On December 6th, Tuesday, Switzerland was defeated by Portugal with a score of 1 to 6. Similarly, on the same day, Spain and Morocco played a match that ended in a draw with a score of 0 to 0, and Spain won in the penalty shootout with a score of 3 to 0. On December 5th, Monday, South Korea lost to Brazil with a score of 1 to 4. Additionally, Croatia and Japan played a match that ended in a draw with a score of 1 to 1, and Croatia won in the penalty shootout with a score of 1 to 3. On December 4th, Sunday, Senegal was defeated by England with a score of 0 to 3. Similarly, on the same day, Poland lost to France with a score of 1 to 3. On December 3rd, Saturday, Australia played against Argentina, and Australia lost with a score of 1 to
ADDITIONAL: Full knockout round schedule leading up to the ultimate match.
Round of 16 World Cup bracket
The above bracket is divided into two parts, and each one will determine a finalist for the World Cup.
One side of the bracket includes the subsequent teams, from which a fortunate finalist will emerge:
The remaining portion of the bracket will determine the other finalist of the World Cup from the subsequent selection:
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Teams in the Round of 16
After only two group matchdays, Brazil and Portugal also mathematically secured their places. France, on November 26, became the initial team to advance to the Round of 16.
The other 13 qualifiers to the Round of 16 joined the French after Groups A-H wrapped up play by Friday, December 2.
These are the 16 nations that advanced to the elimination rounds of the 2022 World Cup, with nearly half of them already ousted.
In Group A, Netherlands will be the winner and Senegal will be the runner-up. In Group B, England and USA will compete. Argentina and Poland will be in Group C. France and Australia will be in Group D. Japan and Spain will be in Group E. Morocco and Croatia will be in Group F. Brazil and Switzerland will be in Group G. Portugal and South Korea will be in Group H.
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How does the Round of 16 function in the World Cup?
From this point forward, each game is elimination-based since the Round of 16 marks the beginning of what is commonly known as the knockout stages.
There are no points accrued. There are no rankings. There’s simply a victor and a loser.
What occurs if knockout matches conclude in a draw?
If the teams are tied after 90 minutes of regulation, the match goes into an additional 30-minute period. In each round of the knockout stage, including the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final-place third, there is a winner determined on the day of each match.
If the deadlock persists after those extra 30 minutes, the team that moves on to the quarterfinals will be determined by a penalty shootout.
The teams that come in second place in their respective groups are paired up with teams that come in first place in the group stage. The pairings for the Round of 16 are predetermined.
How teams progress in the World Cup
There are 32 teams that qualify for the World Cup after advancing from qualifying matches in their respective regions.
Initial Phase
Once they arrive at the World Cup, the group stage becomes their initial challenge. For the 2022 edition, the 32 teams were divided into eight groups, with each group consisting of four teams.
The first tiebreakers represent goals and then goal difference, if teams are tied on points. None for a loss and one for a draw, three points are awarded for every win in the group stage. The group stage consists of a typical round-robin format, where each team plays against the other three teams.
The Round of 16 commences with a prearranged bracket that places every group champion and second-place finisher, as the top two performers from each group progress to the elimination phase.
Elimination Rounds
Teams advance from the Round of 16 to the quarterfinals, then to the semifinals, and finally to the last match. Each match is a single elimination, starting from the Round of 16.
If required, in the event of a tie at the conclusion of the 90 minutes of regulation, the teams will proceed to play an additional 30 minutes of extra time, potentially followed by a penalty shootout, as previously mentioned.