FIFA World Cup 26™: Knockout Round of 32

The 2026 FIFA World Cup introduced a new knockout format for its first 48-team edition: the Round of 32, in which all 32 qualifying teams compete for a place in the Round of 16. Atlanta is hosting one of those matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 1 — the specific teams to be determined by group stage results, with all the storylines and narratives that carry through from the opening matches.

Whatever teams take the field, a World Cup knockout match at MBS is a categorically different experience from a group stage game: every elimination is permanent, every mistake potentially final. The atmosphere at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a knockout stage match will be among the most intensely focused sporting events Atlanta has ever hosted. This is what the World Cup is for.