The 1986 FIFA World Cup knockout stage was the second and final stage of the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals in Mexico. The stage began on 15 June 1986, and ended with the final at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 29 June 1986.

Sixteen teams advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament: The top two teams from each of the six groups, as well as the best four third-placed teams. In the round of 16, the four third-placed teams played against four of the group winners from group A-D, with the remaining two group winners from group E and F taking on two of the group runners-up; the remaining four runners-up were paired off against each other. The winners of the eight round of 16 matches were then paired together in the quarter-finals, the winners of which played against each other in the semi-finals.

The ties in each round were played over a single match; in the event that scores were level after 90 minutes, the teams would play an additional 30 minutes of extra time, divided into two 15-minute halves, to determine the winner. If the scores remained level after extra time, the teams would contest a penalty shoot-out.

A match for third place was also held on the day before the final, between the two losing teams of the semi-finals.

Qualified teams The top two placed teams from each of the six groups, plus the four best-placed third teams, qualified for the knockout stage.

Group Winners Runners-up A B C D E F

Based on group results, the matches would be the following in Round of 16: Round of 16 Teams per qualified group positions Teams identifiedMatch 1: A1 – C3/D3/E3 Argentina – Uruguay Match 2: B2 – F2 Paraguay – EnglandMatch 3: E1 – D2 Denmark – SpainMatch 4: C1 – A3/B3/F3 USSR – BelgiumMatch 5: D1 – B3/E3/F3 Brazil – PolandMatch 6: A2 – C2 Italy – FranceMatch 7: F1 – E2 Morocco – West GermanyMatch 8: B1 – A3/C3/D3 Mexico – Bulgaria

The pairings for matches 1, 4, 5, and 8 depend on who the best third places are that qualify for the round of 16. The following table published in Section 28 of the tournament regulations, shows the 15 different options to define the rivals of the winners of groups A, B, C and D.

Third teams qualify from groups: Argentina (A1) plays vs.: Mexico (B1) plays vs.: USSR (C1) plays vs.: Brazil (D1) plays vs.: A B C D C3 D3 A3 B3 A B C E C3 A3 B3 E3 A B C F C3 A3 B3 F3 A B D E D3 A3 B3 E3 A B D F D3 A3 B3 F3 A B E F E3 A3 B3 F3 A C D E C3 D3 A3 E3 A C D F C3 D3 A3 F3 A C E F C3 A3 F3 E3 A D E F D3 A3 F3 E3 B C D E C3 D3 B3 E3 B C D F C3 D3 B3 F3 B C E F E3 C3 B3 F3 B D E F E3 D3 B3 F3 C D E F C3 D3 F3 E3

Bracket

Round of 16

Mexico vs Bulgaria

GK 1 Pablo LariosRB 18Rafael AmadorCB 14Félix CruzCB 3 Fernando QuirarteLB 17Raúl ServínRM 7 Miguel EspañaDM 16Carlos MuñozCM 10Tomás Boy (c) LM 13Javier AguirreAM 22Manuel NegreteCF 9 Hugo SánchezSubstitutions:GK20Olaf HerediaFW5Francisco Javier CruzMF 6 Carlos de los Cobos MF8Alejandro DomínguezFW11Carlos HermosilloManager: Bora Milutinović GK 1 Borislav MihaylovRB 12Radoslav ZdravkovCB 3 Nikolay Arabov CB 5 Georgi Dimitrov (c)LB 4 Petar PetrovRM 11Plamen Getov DM 15Georgi YordanovCM 8 Ayan SadakovLM 19Atanas Pashev AM 10Zhivko GospodinovCF 20Kostadin KostadinovSubstitutions:GK22Iliya ValovMF 2 Nasko Sirakov FW 7 Bozhidar Iskrenov MF14Plamen MarkovFW16Vasil DragolovManager:Ivan Vutsov

Soviet Union vs Belgium

GK 1 Rinat DasayevDF 2 Volodymyr BezsonovDF 5 Anatoliy Demyanenko (c)DF 10Oleh KuznetsovDF 21Vasiliy RatsMF 12Andriy BalMF 7 Ivan YaremchukMF 8 Pavel Yakovenko MF 9 Aleksandr Zavarov MF 20Sergei AleinikovFW 19Ihor BelanovSubstitutions:GK16Viktor ChanovDF3Aleksandr ChivadzeFW11Oleh BlokhinFW 14Sergey Rodionov MF 17Vadym Yevtushenko Manager:Valeri Lobanovsky GK 1 Jean-Marie PfaffDF 2 Eric Gerets DF 5 Michel Renquin DF 13Georges Grün DF 22Patrick VervoortMF 21Stéphane DemolMF 6 Franky VercauterenMF 8 Enzo ScifoMF 11Jan Ceulemans (c)FW 18Daniel VeytFW 16Nico ClaesenSubstitutions:GK12Jacky MunaronMF3Franky Van der ElstDF 14Lei Clijsters DF 15Leo Van der Elst DF19Hugo BroosManager:Guy Thys

Brazil vs Poland

GK 1 CarlosRB 13JosimarCB 14Júlio CésarCB 4 Edinho (c) LB 17BrancoDM 19ElzoCM 15AlemãoCM 6 JúniorAM 18Sócrates SS 7 Müller CF 9 Careca Substitutions:GK12Paulo VítorCB3OscarCF8CasagrandeAM 10Zico AM 20Silas Manager:Telê Santana GK 1 Józef MłynarczykSW 5 Roman WójcickiRB 2 Kazimierz Przybyś CB 10Stefan MajewskiLB 4 Marek OstrowskiDM 9 Jan KaraśCM 7 Ryszard TarasiewiczCM 21Dariusz Dziekanowski CM 8Jan Urban CF 20Zbigniew Boniek (c) CF 11Włodzimierz Smolarek Substitutions:GK12Jacek KazimierskiDF 3 Władysław Żmuda MF6Waldemar MatysikMF16Andrzej PałaszFW 22Jan Furtok Manager:Antoni Piechniczek

Argentina vs Uruguay

GK 18Nery Pumpido SW 5 José Luis Brown CB 19Oscar RuggeriCB 9 José Luis CuciuffoDM 14Ricardo GiustiDM 2 Sergio Batista AM 7 Jorge BurruchagaLWB 13Oscar Garré SS 10Diego Maradona (c)CF 17Pedro PasculliCF 11Jorge ValdanoSubstitutions:GK15Luis IslasFW1Sergio AlmirónDF8Néstor ClausenMF12Héctor EnriqueMF 16Julio Olarticoechea Manager:Carlos Bilardo GK 12Fernando ÁlvezDF 2 Nelson GutiérrezDF 3 Eduardo Acevedo DF 14Darío PereyraDF 15Eliseo RiveroMF 5 Miguel BossioMF 8 Jorge Barrios (c)MF 11Sergio Santín MF 10Enzo Francescoli FW 21Wilmar Cabrera FW 19Venancio RamosSubstitutions:GK1Rodolfo RodríguezFW7Antonio AlzamendiFW 9 Jorge da Silva MF16Mario SaraleguiMF 18Rubén Paz Manager:Omar Borrás

Italy vs France

GK 1 Giovanni GalliRB 2 Giuseppe BergomiCB 6 Gaetano Scirea (c) CB 8 Pietro VierchowodLB 3 Antonio CabriniMF 10Salvatore BagniCM 11Giuseppe Baresi CM 13Fernando De Napoli MF 16Bruno ContiFW 19Giuseppe Galderisi FW 18Alessandro AltobelliSubstitutions:GK12Franco TancrediDF5Sebastiano NelaMF 14Antonio Di Gennaro MF15Marco TardelliFW 17Gianluca Vialli Manager:Enzo Bearzot GK 1 Joël BatsRB 3 William Ayache CB 6 Maxime BossisCB 4 Patrick BattistonLB 2 Manuel AmorosDM 9 Luis Fernández CM 12Alain GiresseCM 14Jean TiganaAM 10Michel Platini (c) FW 18Dominique RocheteauFW 19Yannick StopyraSubstitutions:GK22Albert RustDF7Yvon Le RouxMF 8 Thierry Tusseau MF 11Jean-Marc Ferreri FW16Bruno BelloneManager:Henri Michel

Morocco vs West Germany

GK 1 Badou Zaki (c)DF 2 Labid Khalifa DF 3 Abdelmajid Lamriss DF 5 Noureddine BouyahyaouiDF 14Lahcen OuadaniMF 6 Abdelmajid DolmyMF 7 Mustafa El HaddaouiMF 8 Aziz BouderbalaMF 10Mohammed TimoumiFW 9 Abdelkrim MerryFW 17Abderrazak KhairiSubstitutions:GK12Salahdine HmiedFW11Mustafa MerryMF16Azzedine AmanallahMF19Fadel JilalMF21Abdelaziz SouleimaniManager: José Faria GK 1 Harald SchumacherSW 17Ditmar JakobsCB 4 Karlheinz FörsterCB 6 Norbert EderRWB 14Thomas BertholdCM 10Felix MagathCM 8 Lothar MatthäusAM 11Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (c)LWB 2 Hans-Peter BriegelCF 19Klaus AllofsCF 9 Rudi Völler Substitutions:GK22Eike ImmelDF3Andreas BrehmeDF5Matthias HergetMF 7 Pierre Littbarski FW20Dieter HoeneßManager:Franz Beckenbauer

England vs Paraguay

GK 1 Peter Shilton (c)RB 2 Gary StevensCB 5 Alvin Martin CB 6 Terry ButcherLB 3 Kenny SansomRM 17Trevor StevenCM 4 Glenn HoddleCM 16Peter Reid LM 18Steve Hodge SS 20Peter Beardsley CF 10Gary LinekerSubstitutions:GK13Chris WoodsFW 9 Mark Hateley DF12Viv AndersonDF 15Gary A. Stevens FW19John BarnesManager:Bobby Robson GK 1 Roberto FernándezDF 2 Juan Torales DF 3 César ZabalaDF 4 Vladimiro SchettinaDF 5 Rogelio Delgado (c)MF 6 Jorge Amado Nunes MF 10Adolfino CañeteMF 8 RomeritoFW 7 Buenaventura FerreiraFW 11Alfredo MendozaFW 9 Roberto CabañasSubstitutions:GK12Jorge BattagliaDF13Virginio CáceresDF14Luis CaballeroMF 16Jorge Guasch FW20Ramón HicksManager:Cayetano Ré

Denmark vs Spain

GK 22Lars HøghSW 4 Morten Olsen (c)DF 3 Søren BuskDF 5 Ivan NielsenRWB 9 Klaus BerggreenDM 12Jens Jørn BertelsenCM 8 Jesper Olsen CM 6 Søren LerbyLWB 21Henrik Andersen FW 11Michael LaudrupFW 10Preben ElkjærSubstitutions:GK16Ole QvistDF2John SivebækMF 7 Jan Mølby FW 19John Eriksen MF20Jan BartramManager: Sepp Piontek GK 1 Andoni ZubizarretaRB 2 TomásCB 3 José Antonio Camacho (c) CB 8 Andoni Goikoetxea LB 11Julio AlbertoRM 21Míchel CM 5 VíctorCM 14Ricardo GallegoLM 18Ramón CalderéFW 19Julio Salinas FW 9 Emilio ButragueñoSubstitutions:GK22Juan Carlos AblanedoMF7Juan SeñorDF15ChendoMF 17Francisco FW 20Eloy Manager:Miguel Muñoz

Quarter-finals

Brazil vs France

GK 1 CarlosRB 13JosimarCB 14Júlio CésarCB 4 Edinho (c) LB 17BrancoDM 19ElzoCM 15AlemãoCM 6 Júnior AM 18SócratesSS 7 Müller CF 9 CarecaSubstitutions:GK22LeãoCB3OscarCF8CasagrandeAM 10Zico AM 20Silas Manager:Telê Santana GK 1 Joël BatsRB 2 Manuel AmorosCB 6 Maxime BossisCB 4 Patrick BattistonLB 8 Thierry TusseauDM 9 Luis FernándezCM 12Alain Giresse CM 14Jean TiganaAM 10Michel Platini (c)FW 18Dominique Rocheteau FW 19Yannick StopyraSubstitutions:MF 11Jean-Marc Ferreri FW 16Bruno Bellone Manager:Henri Michel

West Germany vs Mexico

GK 1 Harald SchumacherSW 17Ditmar JakobsCB 4 Karlheinz Förster CB 6 Norbert Eder RWB 14Thomas Berthold CM 8 Lothar Matthäus CM 3 Andreas BrehmeAM 10Felix MagathLWB 2 Hans-Peter BriegelCF 11Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (c) CF 19Klaus Allofs Substitutions:GK22Eike ImmelDF5Matthias HergetMF 7 Pierre Littbarski MF13Karl AllgöwerCF 20Dieter Hoeneß Manager:Franz Beckenbauer GK 1 Pablo LariosDF 18Rafael Amador DF 3 Fernando Quirarte DF 14Félix CruzDF 17Raúl Servín MF 7 Miguel EspañaMF 16Carlos MuñozMF 10Tomás Boy (c) MF 13Javier Aguirre FW 22Manuel NegreteFW 9 Hugo Sánchez Substitutions:GK20Olaf HerediaFW 5 Francisco Javier Cruz MF 6 Carlos de los Cobos MF8Alejandro DomínguezFW15Luis FloresManager: Bora Milutinović

Argentina vs England

Spain vs Belgium In the 35th minute, Jan Ceulemans put Belgium into the lead with a diving header from six yards out to the right corner after a cross from the left. Juan Señor made it 1–1 in the 85th minute with a swerving shot from outside the penalty area. The match went to extra-time and then to penalties. The only miss during the shoot-out was from Eloy Olaya when Jean-Marie Pfaff saved down low to his right as Belgium won 5–4.

GK 1 Andoni ZubizarretaRB 15ChendoCB 3 José Antonio Camacho (c)CB 14Ricardo GallegoLB 11Julio AlbertoRM 2 Tomás CM 5 VíctorCM 21MíchelLM 18Ramón Calderé CF 19Julio Salinas CF 9 Emilio ButragueñoSubstitutions:GK13UrrutiMF 7 Juan Señor MF10Francisco José CarrascoMF17FranciscoFW 20Eloy Manager:Miguel Muñoz GK 1 Jean-Marie PfaffDF 2 Eric GeretsDF 5 Michel RenquinDF 13Georges Grün MF 21Stéphane Demol MF 22Patrick VervoortMF 6 Franky Vercauteren MF 8 Enzo ScifoMF 11Jan Ceulemans (c)FW 18Daniel Veyt FW 16Nico ClaesenSubstitutions:GK12Jacky MunaronMF3Franky Van der ElstDF14Leo ClijstersDF 15Leo Van der Elst DF 19Hugo Broos Manager:Guy Thys

Semi-finals

France vs West Germany

GK 1 Joël BatsRB 3 William AyacheCB 6 Maxime BossisCB 4 Patrick BattistonLB 2 Manuel AmorosDM 9 Luis Fernández CM 12Alain Giresse CM 14Jean TiganaAM 10Michel Platini (c)CF16Bruno Bellone CF19Yannick StopyraSubstitutions:GK22Albert RustDF7Yvon Le RouxMF13Bernard GenghiniMF 15Philippe Vercruysse FW 20Daniel Xuereb Manager:Henri Michel GK 1 Harald SchumacherSW 17Ditmar JakobsCB 4 Karlheinz FörsterCB 6 Norbert EderRWB 3 Andreas BrehmeCM 8 Lothar MatthäusCM 21Wolfgang RolffAM 10Felix Magath LWB 2 Hans-Peter BriegelCF 11Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (c) CF 19Klaus AllofsSubstitutions:GK22Eike ImmelDF5Matthias HergetFW7Pierre LittbarskiFW 9 Rudi Völler FW20Dieter HoeneßManager:Franz Beckenbauer

Argentina vs Belgium