The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is beginning to take shape, with several Round of 32 fixtures officially confirmed following the conclusion of multiple group-stage matches.
Among the standout stories is tournament debutant Cape Verde, who made history by becoming the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup knockout stage. The African island nation has been rewarded with a blockbuster clash against defending champions Argentina.
Another confirmed fixture will see South Africa face Canada after the African side progressed as runners-up in Group A.
While several places in the Round of 32 have now been decided, a number of fixtures remain dependent on the outcome of the remaining group-stage matches in Groups J, K and L, which will determine the final qualifiers, including the remaining best third-placed teams.
Confirmed Round of 32 Fixtures
Sunday, June 28
- South Africa vs Canada – 8:00 p.m. (Los Angeles, USA)
Monday, June 29
- Brazil vs Japan – 6:00 p.m. (Houston, USA)
- Germany vs Paraguay – 9:30 p.m. (Foxborough, USA)
Tuesday, June 30
- Netherlands vs Morocco – 2:00 a.m. (Guadalupe, Mexico)
- Ivory Coast vs Norway – 6:00 p.m. (Arlington, USA)
- France vs Sweden – 10:00 p.m. (New Jersey, USA)
Wednesday, July 1
- Mexico vs Third-placed team from Groups C, E, F, H or I – 2:00 a.m. (Mexico City, Mexico)
- Group L winners vs Third-placed team from Groups E, H, I, J or K – 5:00 p.m. (Atlanta, USA)
- Belgium vs Third-placed team from Groups A, E, H, I or J – 9:00 p.m. (Seattle, USA)
Thursday, July 2
- USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina – 1:00 a.m. (Santa Clara, USA)
- Spain vs Group J runners-up – 8:00 p.m. (Los Angeles, USA)
Friday, July 3
- Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up – 12:00 a.m. (Toronto, Canada)
- Switzerland vs Third-placed team from Groups E, F, G, I or J – 4:00 a.m. (Vancouver, Canada)
- Australia vs Egypt – 7:00 p.m. (Arlington, USA)
- Argentina vs Cape Verde – 11:00 p.m. (Miami, USA)
Saturday, July 4
- Group K winners vs Third-placed team from Groups D, E, I, J or L – 2:30 a.m. (Kansas City, USA)
The remaining Round of 32 pairings will be confirmed after the final group-stage fixtures are completed, with several teams still battling for automatic qualification and the remaining best third-placed spots.