What are the possible World Cup matchups in Atlanta for the knockout rounds?

Since the U.S. won its group, it won’t be coming to Atlanta, but other tantalizing teams could.

Cape Verde fans celebrate following a 0-0 draw at FIFA Fan Festival in Centennial Olympic Park during the Spain and Cape Verde match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta on June 15, 2026. It’s the first of eight World Cup matches to take place in Atlanta. It’s Cape Verde’s first World Cup. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

By Rod Beard

Updated 45 minutes ago

With Atlanta’s final World Cup group-stage matchup between Congo and Uzbekistan on Saturday, they city looks ahead to the final 32 teams.

Over the next few weeks, there will be three additional matches at Atlanta Stadium for the knockout rounds, though all of those teams haven’t been determined yet. All of the pairings will be finalized after Saturday’s group-play matches.

Here’s a preliminary look at some of the teams who could play in Atlanta.

Round of 32: Wednesday at noon

This matchup will feature England against Congo, which rallied with three goals in the second half to finish third in its group. England won its group Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Panama. The Leopards make their first appearance in the knockout round.

Round of 16: July 7 at noon

The second round of the knockout stage will have the winners of the matches between Argentina and Cape Verde against Austria-Egypt. The prospect of having either Argentina, the defending champions that feature superstar Lionel Messi, or Cape Verde, one of the most fascinating teams of this tournament, would bring excitement to Atlanta.

Semifinals: July 15 at 3 p.m.

Because the U.S. won its group, it’s in the top half of the bracket, and the Atlanta semifinal is in the bottom half, so seeing the national team in Atlanta Stadium won’t happen. But, among the bottom half of the draw, Brazil, Japan, Ivory Coast, Norway, Mexico, England, Argentina, Austria, Switzerland and likely Colombia are still in play among the other top teams.