As the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico enters its final day of group-stage competition, eight national sides remain locked in a tight battle for the four remaining spots in the tournament’s round of 32. So far, the three co-host nations have all secured their place in the knockout rounds, joining pre-tournament favorites and top-ranked sides including France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and Norway, among other successful qualifiers.
With group-stage play winding down, the knockout bracket is already taking clear shape. The host United States, whose two-game winning streak was brought to a halt by a defeat to Turkey, will open their knockout campaign against Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1 in Santa Clara, California. Ranked 62nd in the FIFA world rankings, Bosnia-Herzegovina earned its knockout spot as the third-place finisher in Group B with four points from one win, one draw, and one loss. The match marks a welcome return to full contention for U.S. star Christian Pulisic, who came off the bench in the second half against Turkey after recovering from a calf injury that forced him out early in the opening win over Paraguay. “We play every game like a knockout game,” said U.S. midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who found the back of the net against Turkey. “You saw that in our intensity and the way we worked. For us, it’s keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
Canada, which made history by reaching its first World Cup knockout stage as Group B runner-up with four points, will face South Africa, another historic qualifier that also earned four points as Group A runner-up including a stunning upset win over South Korea, in Southern California on June 28. This marks the first time both nations have progressed to the knockout round of a men’s World Cup.
Other confirmed high-profile round of 32 fixtures are already set across the three host countries. Five-time World Cup champion Brazil will face Japan on June 29. Japan secured its place as Group F runner-up with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Sweden, a matchup that carries extra narrative: Brazilian football legend Zico was brought in by Japan’s football association in 1991 to professionalize the nation’s domestic league and support its successful co-host bid for the 2002 World Cup, making this clash a full-circle moment for Japanese football to show how far the program has come against the global gold standard. After an opening draw against Morocco, Brazil bounced back to win its next two group games 3-0, with Vinícius Júnior silencing early critics and star forward Neymar returning to form after a minor injury. Japan, for its part, earned two draws and a dominant 4-0 rout of Tunisia to book its knockout spot.
Also on June 29, the Netherlands, who topped Group F after outscoring opponents Sweden and Tunisia by a combined 8-2, will face Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semifinalists that finished unbeaten in Group C and are chasing history to become the first African nation to lift the World Cup trophy. That same day, four-time champion Germany will face Paraguay. Like the U.S., Germany clinched its group spot early and rested key players in its final group game, resulting in a late low-stakes defeat, but enter the knockout round as heavy favorites against Paraguay, who lost 4-1 to the U.S. in its opener but recovered enough to claim a knockout spot.
On June 30, tournament favorite France, who won all three of its group matches to live up to pre-tournament expectations, will face Sweden, which holds a 5-1 win, 5-1 loss, and one draw from group play. That same day, Norway, which rested star striker Erling Haaland and nearly all of its starting lineup in its final group game after failing to catch France at the top of Group I, will face Ivory Coast at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.
Two more round of 32 matches are set for July 3. Australia, which picked up one win, one loss, and one draw in group play, will face Egypt, who advanced as Group G runner-up after a late late equalizer from Iran was ruled out for offside. In the other July 3 fixture, defending World Cup champion Argentina, who already sealed top spot in Group J, will face Cape Verde, the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup knockout stage, who enter the match as massive underdogs.
The path to the round of 32 for third-place teams follows a specific format: only the top eight third-place finishers across all groups advance, with tiebreakers decided first by goal differential, then by total goals scored if needed. So far, any team that has earned four points from three group games has secured a knockout spot, with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sweden, Ecuador, and Paraguay all advancing via this route. Scotland, by contrast, is a long shot to qualify with three points, and needs multiple favorable results to break into the knockout stage, leaving its passionate fanbase waiting on a series of unlikely outcomes.
On the final day of group play, three key matchups will decide the last remaining qualification spots. At 5 p.m. ET, Group L will wrap up with Panama facing England and Croatia taking on Ghana. Panama has already been eliminated, while England and Ghana will advance with any result other than a lopsided loss, and can still progress even in defeat if the margin is small. Croatia advances with either a win or a draw. In Group K kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET, Colombia faces Portugal and Congo takes on Uzbekistan. Colombia has already advanced, and will finish top of the group with a win or draw against Portugal, who will advance with a draw and claim first place with a win. Congo advances with a win or draw and is eliminated with a loss, while Uzbekistan is a long shot that needs a dominant victory to qualify. Finally, at 10 p.m. ET in Group J, Algeria faces Austria and winless Jordan takes on already-qualified group winners Argentina. Jordan has been eliminated, and barring a multigoal Croatia defeat to Ghana, the winner of Algeria-Austria will advance, while the loser retains an outside chance. A draw would see Austria qualify, and would likely send Algeria through as well.
