World Cup 2026: A look at the USMNT's path to the final as the knockout round gets set to begin

The 2026 World Cup bracket will be finalized after Saturday's six matches wrap up group stage play. The United States men's national team has known its Round of 32 opponent for a few days, but the rest of its potential path to the final is coming into focus. On July 1, the USMNT will play its Round of 32 match in San Francisco. As winners of Group D, the U.S. was paired against a third-place team from Group B, E, F, I or J via FIFA's 495 possible combinations . That turned out to be Bosnia and Herzegovina, who finished third in Group B with four points. Round of 16 If the USMNT were to beat Bosnia, it would mark the team's first knockout stage win since reaching the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup. Their opponents for a potential July 6 match in Seattle, should they advance, would be Belgium, who topped Group G with five points and thrashed the U.S. 5-2 in March , or a third-place team from Group A, E, H, I or J, which will be determined on Saturday. South Korea, Senegal, Algeria and Austria are among Belgium's potential opponents in the Round of 32. The path would have been a bit easier for the U.S. had Egypt beaten Iran and not drawn 1-1 on Friday night . That result put Mohamed Salah's side into a tie on five points with Belgium atop Group B. FIFA's new group stage tiebreakers list head-to-head first, but with Egypt and Belgium tying in their match, the goal differential came into play and favored the Red Devils (+4 to +2). Belgium is currently 10th in FIFA's men's team rankings . Egypt is slotted at 26th. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 25: United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino listens to the national anthem before his team played Turkiye during a FIFA World Cup 2026 match at Los Angeles Stadium on June 25, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images) The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images Quarterfinals Should the USMNT equal what they did in 2002, Spain, the Group H winners, is a very likely opponent in the final eight. As of Saturday, La Roja is the only side with a confirmed place in that part of the bracket . Spain will play the Group J runner-up, Algeria or Austria, in its opening knockout stage match on July 2. The runner-ups from Group K and L would play in the Round of 32 with the winner moving on to face Spain. It's looking likely that Colombia or Portugal will finish second in Group K, while Croatia and Ghana seem destined to land in the runner-up spot in Group L. England could have a say in that as well depending on their result against Ghana on Saturday. A USMNT versus Spain/Colombia/Portugal match on July 10 in Los Angeles would pose the toughest test of the tournament yet for Mauricio Pochettino's side. Semifinals The USMNT has reached a World Cup semifinal once before. Sure, it was in 1930 during the inaugural tournament and the format was much different with only 13 teams, but they were a win away from playing for a world title. Nearly a century later, winning three knockout round matches would prove to be the best showing ever by the U.S., which would have meant knocking off some global soccer powers on the way. There are a number of possibilities for who would serve as a semifinal opponent and it would be a difficult task inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington on July 14. The other half of the USMNT's side of the bracket features heavyweights like France and Germany, who have won a combined six World Cups, and the Netherlands, who knocked the Americans out in Qatar four years ago. Also in the mix could be Paraguay, who the U.S. beat 4-1 in their opening group stage match , Sweden, Morocco, and fellow co-hosts Canada. Final "Do you believe in miracles?," Al Michaels once asked. If the USMNT is playing at MetLife Stadium on July 19 in a World Cup Final … you could only imagine the level of excitement around the country in anticipation of the biggest game in American soccer history. The other side of the knockout stage bracket is highlighted by even more soccer giants. Five-time champion Brazil, Argentina, three-time winners and reigning champions, and Mexico are among those with confirmed places. England and Portugal could also be involved depending on how they finish group play.