noun
round of 16; last 16
Sports term for the knockout stage with 16 remaining competitors or teams. The reading じゅうろっきょう is a common colloquial variant.
日本代表は１６強で敗退した。
The Japanese national team was eliminated in the round of 16.
次の試合に勝てば、１６強入りが決まる。
If they win the next match, they will advance to the last 16.
Compound of 16 and 強 (きょう, 'strong'), literally 'the strong 16', referring to the top 16 competitors remaining in a tournament.