The World Cup knockout stage picture has sharpened: 26 of the 32 spots in the Round of 32 have been clinched. That leaves six places still open, while the bracket projection now gives readers a clearer path through the field.
Ryan Best and the bracket
Ryan Best, listed first among the designers and producers, helped build the bracket projection that lays out the path to the finals. He worked with Ethan Douglas, Emily Giambalvo, K.K. Rebecca Lai, Thomas Oide, Yuriko Schumacher, Ethan Singer and Jonah Smith on the core projection.
The project also included additional work from Dan Goldfarb, Pasha Haysanuk, Laura Pelton and Mark Whelan. The layout is built around a simple update: most of the Round of 32 is already set, so the remaining open spots are now the main moving part in the bracket.
Six spots still open
That number matters because the source does not name which teams have filled the 26 available places. Readers can see the shape of the knockout stage, but not the full list of entrants inside it.
The bracket projection is tied to the 2026 World Cup, and its job is to help follow a team’s path to the finals. With 26 spots already taken, the field is mostly drawn; the last six places are the piece that can still change the picture.
Teams in the bracket
The practical takeaway is straightforward. Teams in the World Cup knockout stage have mostly been slotted in, but six Round of 32 places remain to be clinched, so the projection is useful for tracking what is settled and what is still in motion.
For readers watching the bracket, the unanswered part is the one that still drives the race: which teams have clinched the 26 available Round of 32 spots?
