By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has turned into a dream tournament for the three co-hosts, with the US, Mexico and Canada all advancing to the Round of 16, giving home fans across North America plenty to celebrate.
It is the first time in the history of a jointly hosted World Cup that all host nations have survived the opening knockout hurdle to reach the last 16. The achievement also equals CONCACAF’s best-ever representation at this stage of a FIFA World Cup.
Canada was the first of the trio to seal its place in the Round of 16, edging South Africa 1-0 in a tense Round of 32 encounter. Jesse Marsch’s side showed discipline and composure to book a blockbuster clash against Morocco in the next round on Saturday, 4 July (10.30 pm IST).
Mexico followed with an impressive 2-0 victory over Ecuador in a weather-delayed contest, delighting home supporters and ending a four-decade wait for a World Cup knockout-stage triumph. El Tri will now face England in one of the marquee fixtures of the Round of 16 on Sunday (Monday, 6 Jul 5.30 am IST).
The US has completed the clean sweep with a resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite playing with 10 men after Folarin Balogun was sent off, Mauricio Pochettino’s side held firm before Malik Tillman sealed victory with a superb free-kick. The Americans have earned a mouth-watering showdown against Belgium, reviving memories of their dramatic 2014 World Cup meeting. The US is all set to meet Belgium on Monday (Tuesday, 7 Jul 5.30 am IST).
The remarkable progress of all three hosts has injected fresh energy into the tournament, with packed stadiums and passionate home support creating an electric atmosphere across North America. While football powerhouses such as Brazil, France and England remain among the favourites, the performances of the co-hosts have added an exciting new dimension to the expanded 48-team World Cup.
With the Round of 16 set to begin, North American fans now have three teams still dreaming of an unprecedented run towards the quarter-finals—and perhaps even deeper into football’s biggest tournament.