Round of 32 Fixtures Confirmed for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, currently being hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has officially concluded. Following the final group-stage fixtures, the definitive playoff bracket has been established, locking in the 32 national teams that have successfully advanced to the Round of 32 of football's premier global tournament.

The knockout phase kicks off with a matchup between South Africa and Canada in Inglewood on June 28. According to the organizers' approved schedule, football fans will then see Germany face Paraguay in Foxborough and Brazil take on Japan in Houston on June 29. The following day, June 30, berths in the next round will be contested by the Netherlands and Morocco in Monterrey, alongside Ivory Coast and Norway in Arlington. July 1 will be the busiest day of the round with four scheduled fixtures: France vs. Sweden in East Rutherford, Mexico vs. Ecuador in Mexico City, Belgium vs. Senegal in Seattle, and England up against DR Congo in Atlanta.

The tournament marathon continues over the subsequent days, featuring Spain vs. Austria in Inglewood and the United States taking on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara on July 2. On July 3, the schedule lists Australia vs. Egypt in Arlington, Portugal vs. Croatia in Toronto, and Switzerland vs. Algeria in Vancouver.

The opening knockout round will draw to a close on July 4, featuring matches with defending world champions Argentina playing Cape Verde in Miami, and Colombia going head-to-head against Ghana.

As a reminder, this year's tournament marks the debut of an expanded 48-team format, where the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, earned qualification for the knockout stage. The World Cup final is scheduled to take place on July 19.