Morocco figures to have most of the possession against a Canadian team that might have Alphonso Davies in the starting lineup for the first time all tournament. After missing out on the group stage entirely, Davies came on as a substitute in Canada's Round of 32 win over South Africa.

“The World Cup starts now,” Lamine Yamal declared after Spain advanced to the round of 16 with a straightforward stroll against Austria. That’s all very well and good for the ever-improving teenager, but think about what this tournament would have ...

The knockout phase of the 2026 World Cup is about to start, but how do all the teams in the tournament rank?

Could you order all of them? Well, that’s what we’re trying to do. The Athletic is ranking every game, from worst to best. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments. Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic app Congratulations to Scotland on a first World Cup win in 36 years but a game with 44 fouls and four shots on target (from 24 attempts) was never going to rank too highly here.

Here's where Paraguay's upset of Germany ranks among the five biggest World Cup upsets ever in the knockout stage.

This 48-team extravaganza is the biggest World Cup there has ever been, and it might just be the most complex too. Twelve groups of four teams might be enough to follow in the first place, but those fans of brackets who have a familiarity of past tournaments might have a sense of what the issue is here.

See the latest results from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Colombia play vs. Ghana in what can be a sleeper Round of 32 matchup in this 2026 World Cup. Colombia have been one of the best teams in terms of functionality during the 2026 World Cup . However, that doesn’t mean Ghana will be an easy task to overcome,