The round that came immediately after the round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup knockout stage was the round of 16.
The 2026 tournament introduced a 32-team knockout bracket because the World Cup expanded to 48 teams. Twelve groups of four teams produced 24 group-stage qualifiers through the top two places, while eight best third-place teams also advanced.
Those 32 qualifiers began the elimination phase in the round of 32. The 16 winners then moved into the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place match and final. This is different from the traditional 32-team World Cup format, where the knockout stage began directly with the round of 16.
The common mix-up is to treat the round of 32 as part of the group stage. It is actually the first knockout round, with every match decided by extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout.