FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 bracket and schedule confirmed
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features an expanded knockout stage with 32 teams, beginning with a matchup between South Africa and Canada.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 bracket and schedule confirmed
The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins Sunday, June 28, featuring a field of 32 teams in a win-or-go-home format. For the first time in the tournament's history, the knockout stage, which begins on Sunday, will feature 32 teams with 16 matchups before the field shrinks to 16 teams.
The bracket is set following a group stage where the top two teams from each of the 12 groups automatically advanced to the knockout stage, joined by the tournament's eight best third-place finishers.
African Surge and Iran's Exit
African teams have enjoyed their best ever men’s World Cup campaign. Of the record 10 African nations qualified for the expanded 2026 tournament, nine have reached the round of 32: Algeria, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa.
This success builds on Africa’s growing influence on the world stage after Morocco’s historic run to the 2022 semifinals. Iran was eliminated from the competition after a Saturday match between Austria and Algeria ended in a 3-3 draw. Because a draw was the only result that could have knocked Iran out, Algeria moved above Iran in the ranking of third-placed teams to secure the final available place among the eight best third-placed teams, which advanced to the round of 32.
Opening Clash: South Africa vs. Canada
The tournament's first knockout tie sees South Africa, who claimed second place with four points, take on Canada, the second-place finisher of Group B. The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The two sides’ only previous encounter ended in a 2-0 win for Bafana Bafana in a friendly in Durban in 2007. Canada also enters the match seeking to break a streak of losses against African competition, having previously fallen to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and Cameroon at the 2001 Confederations Cup.
Despite that history, the Opta supercomputer shows Canada as the clear favourites. In 25,000 pre-match simulations, Canada won 55 percent, while South Africa triumphed in 20 percent. The remaining 24.9 percent of its calculations ended level after 90 minutes. Overall, Canada are given a 67.8 percent chance of reaching the quarterfinals, compared with 32.2 percent for South Africa.
The Path to the Final
The bracket configuration has set the stage for a potential final between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on July 19. Because Argentina and Portugal are on opposite sides of the draw, ruling out the quarterfinal meeting many fans had anticipated. Both captains, who are both playing in their sixth World Cup, must lead their teams all the way to the World Cup 2026 final to face one another.
Round of 32 Schedule
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 28 | South Africa vs Canada | 3 p.m. | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles |
| June 29 | Brazil vs Japan | 1 p.m. | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| June 29 | Germany vs Paraguay | 4:30 p.m. | Gillette Stadium, Boston |
| June 29 | Netherlands vs Morocco | 9 p.m. | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| June 30 | Ivory Coast vs Norway | 1 p.m. | AT&T Stadium, Dallas |
| June 30 | France vs Sweden | 5 p.m. | MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey |
| June 30 | Mexico vs Ecuador | 9 p.m. | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| July 1 | England vs DR Congo | 12 p.m. | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| July 1 | Belgium vs Senegal | 4 p.m. | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| July 1 | United States vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8 p.m. | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area |
| July 2 | Spain vs Austria | 3 p.m. | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles |
| July 2 | Portugal vs Croatia | 7 p.m. | BMO Field, Toronto |
| July 2 | Switzerland vs Algeria | 11 p.m. | BC Place, Vancouver |
| July 3 | Australia vs Egypt | 2 p.m. | AT&T Stadium, Dallas |
| July 3 | Argentina vs Cape Verde | 6 p.m. | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| July 3 | Colombia vs Ghana | 9:30 p.m. | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
Next Steps
Following the Round of 32, the tournament will move into the Round of 16. Key matchups include the winner of the South Africa/Canada game against the winner of Netherlands/Morocco at NRG Stadium, Houston. The tournament will eventually culminate in the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
