Opponents Every Team Will Face in the World Cup Round of 32 and Key Dates

Several teams have booked their spots in the Round of 32, the first knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The tournament’s format has expanded the knockout stage, with the top two teams from each of the 12 groups automatically qualifying and joined by the eight best third-placed teams.

From June 24 to June 25, eight matches were played in the final group stage matches as teams battled for places in the Round of 32.

The last one week also confirmed the elimination of nations from the tournament, including Haiti, Scotland, Panama, Türkiye, Tunisia, and Jordan.

Teams Already Through to the Round of 32

Teams are required to play three group matches to determine if they proceed to the next stage. So far, some teams have completed the three matches, while others have one game left. 

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Teams that have sealed their spots in the round of 32 so far are Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil, Morocco, Germany, Argentina, and the United States. Some have already secured top spot in their groups, while others have qualified as runners-up.

Team	Group	Status
Mexico	A	Qualified, Group Winners
South Africa	A	Qualified, Group Runners-up
Switzerland	B	Qualified, Group Winners
Canada	B	Qualified, Group Runners-up
Brazil	C	Qualified, Group Winners
Morocco	C	Qualified, Group Runners-up
United States	D	Qualified, Group Winners
Germany	E	Qualified
Argentina	J	Qualified

The number of qualified teams is expected to increase as the final round of group matches concludes.

What Every Group Winner and Runner-Up Will Face

The World Cup bracket follows a predetermined structure that dictates the opponents for teams based on where they finish in their groups.

Some teams will face runners-up from other groups, while group winners are scheduled to face one of the best third-placed teams.

Group Position	Round of 32 Opponent
Group A Winner (Mexico)	Best third-placed team
Group A Runner-up (South Africa)	Group B Runner-up (Canada)
Group B Winner (Switzerland)	Best third-placed team
Group B Runner-up (Canada)	Group A Runner-up (South Africa)
Group C Winner (Brazil)	Group F Runner-up
Group C Runner-up (Morocco)	Group F Winner
Group D Winner (United States)	Best third-placed team
Group D Runner-up	Group G Runner-up
Group E Winner	Best third-placed team
Group E Runner-up	Group I Runner-up
Group F Winner	Group C Runner-up (Morocco)
Group F Runner-up	Group C Winner (Brazil)
Group G Winner	Best third-placed team
Group G Runner-up	Group D Runner-up
Group H Winner	Group J Runner-up
Group H Runner-up	Group J Winner
Group I Winner	Best third-placed team
Group I Runner-up	Group E Runner-up
Group J Winner	Group H Runner-up
Group J Runner-up	Group H Winner
Group K Winner	Best third-placed team
Group K Runner-up	Group L Runner-up
Group L Winner	Best third-placed team
Group L Runner-up	Group K Runner-up

World Cup Round of 32 Fixtures

The Round of 32 matches will be played from June 28 to July 3, with the first knockout fixture between South Africa and Canada, before the tournament moves into the Round of 16 on July 4.

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Round of 32 Matchup	Date
South Africa vs Canada	June 28
Germany vs Best Third-Placed Team	June 29
Group F Winners vs Morocco	June 29
Brazil vs Group F Runners-up	June 29
Group I Winners vs Best Third-Placed Team	June 30
Group E Runners-up vs Group I Runners-up	June 30
Mexico vs Best Third-Placed Team	June 30
Group L Winners vs Best Third-Placed Team	July 1
United States vs Best Third-Placed Team	July 1
Group G Winners vs Best Third-Placed Team	July 1
Group K Winners vs Best Third-Placed Team	July 2
Group K Runners-up vs Group L Runners-up	July 3

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