With the group stage complete, the World Cup switches to straight knockout football. From here every match is win-or-go-home, and the bracket is fixed: each winner already knows the path that lies ahead of them.
The rounds
The knockout stage runs Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final, with a third-place play-off the day before the showpiece. Because 32 teams enter the bracket, there is one more round than fans of previous tournaments are used to.
No draws allowed
If a knockout match is level after 90 minutes, it goes to 30 minutes of extra time. If it is still level, a penalty shootout decides who advances. There are no replays, so one bad afternoon ends a campaign.
The road to the title
A team that tops its group still has to win four straight knockout ties to be champion. Combined with the group stage, the eventual winners will play eight matches in total, the most ever required to win the World Cup. Follow every tie and see the full bracket fill out on our knockout page.