The race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup title is gathering pace, with seven nations having already secured their places in the Round of 16 following the opening Round of 32 fixtures.

Defending heavyweights Brazil and France are safely through, while Canada, Paraguay, Morocco, Norway and Mexico have also progressed to the last 16 after impressive performances.

Canada became the first team to advance after edging South Africa 1-0, ending Bafana Bafana’s historic World Cup campaign.

Brazil followed with a 2-1 victory over Japan, while Paraguay stunned Germany in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

Morocco continued Africa’s remarkable run by eliminating the Netherlands on penalties, joining Norway, who beat Ivory Coast 2-1 to reach the next round.

France comfortably dispatched Sweden with a 3-0 win, while Mexico completed the current list of qualifiers after defeating Ecuador 2-0.

The remaining Round of 16 places will be decided over the coming days, with England, Belgium, the United States, Spain, Portugal, defending champions Argentina and several other contenders still in action as they bid to keep their World Cup dreams alive.

The confirmed Round of 16 line-up so far is:

Canada
Brazil
Paraguay
Morocco
Norway
France
Mexico

Confirmed Round of 16 fixtures:
Canada vs Morocco – 4 July
Paraguay vs France – 4 July
Brazil vs Norway – 5 July
Mexico vs England/DR Congo winner – 5 July

The remaining Round of 16 fixtures will be confirmed once all the Round of 32 matches have been completed.