The group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially concluded, setting the stage for the tournament’s first-ever Round of 32 after FIFA expanded the competition from 32 to 48 teams. A total of 72 group-stage matches have been played across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with 32 nations now advancing to the knockout rounds.
Round of 32 begins across North America
- The knockout stage opens on June 28 with South Africa taking on Canada at Los Angeles Stadium.
- Other headline fixtures include Brazil vs Japan, Germany vs Paraguay, Netherlands vs Morocco, England vs Democratic Republic of the Congo, Spain vs Austria, and Argentina vs Cape Verde.
- The Round of 32 will be played from June 28 to July 3, with winners progressing to the Round of 16 before the tournament concludes with the final on July 19.
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FIFA’s expanded format changes the competition
- The 2026 tournament is the first FIFA World Cup to feature 48 teams, compared with 32 in previous editions.
- FIFA also expanded the tournament to 104 matches, up from 64 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
- Teams were divided into 12 groups, with the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams qualifying for the knockout stage.
- FIFA has said the new structure is intended to increase global participation and provide more nations with an opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage.
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Brazil preparing for Japan as Ancelotti urges caution
- Brazil will face Japan in one of the standout Round of 32 ties.
- Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said he expects Neymar to play a bigger role after recently returning from injury.
- “There isn’t one favourite in this World Cup“, Ancelotti told reporters ahead of the match.
- He also said knockout football demands preparation for every scenario, including extra time and penalty shootouts.
African nations make World Cup history
- African teams have enjoyed their strongest World Cup campaign on record, with nine nations reaching the knockout stage.
- CAF President Patrice Motsepe credited years of investment in youth development, coaching programmes and football infrastructure for the continent’s success.
- DR Congo coach Sébastien Desabre described the achievement as an important moment for African football, saying it demonstrated the growing competitiveness of teams across the continent.
- Knockout qualifiers from Africa include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde and Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Dramatic finish completes knockout field
- The final qualification places were decided after Austria and Algeria played out a dramatic 3-3 draw in Kansas City.
- The result allowed both teams to progress while eliminating Iran, which had been hoping to qualify as one of the tournament’s best third-placed sides.
- The expanded qualification system has created several first-time and rare knockout appearances, giving smaller football nations a chance to compete deeper into the tournament.
Debate over tournament expansion continues
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has consistently defended the 48-team World Cup, arguing that expansion makes football more inclusive by giving more countries access to the sport’s biggest competition.
- Critics, including player welfare groups and some former footballers, argue that the additional 40 matches increase travel demands, player fatigue and fixture congestion across a tournament already spread over three host nations.
- Supporters counter that the expanded format has produced greater geographical diversity in the knockout rounds and allowed emerging football nations to compete on a global stage.
Qualified teams
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa
- Group B: Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco
- Group D: United States, Australia, Paraguay
- Group E: Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde
- Group I: France, Norway, Senegal
- Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria
- Group K: Colombia, Portugal, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana
What happens next
- The Round of 32 marks the beginning of the single-elimination phase, where every match must produce a winner.
- Teams level after 90 minutes will play extra time, followed by penalties if required.
- With the field now narrowed from 48 teams to 32, attention shifts to whether traditional football powers can maintain their dominance or if the expanded tournament will deliver more surprise runs from emerging nations before the World Cup final on July 19.
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