FIFA round of 32 begins as giants advance and African teams shine

TEXAS: The globally most-watched 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its knockout stage, with 32 teams moving into the round of 32 after a gruelling group phase that trimmed the field from 48.

All major pre-tournament favourites, including France, Spain, England, and Argentina, have safely progressed, keeping the tournament’s biggest names firmly in contention for the title. Alongside them, several surprise teams have added fresh excitement to the competition.

One of the standout stories is Cape Verde, making their World Cup debut and advancing after drawing all three of their group-stage matches. The Democratic Republic of the Congo also reached the knockout stage for the first time in their second appearance at the tournament, having previously competed as Zaire in 1974.

Cape Verde now face a tough challenge against defending champions Argentina on Friday in Miami Gardens, Florida, while DR Congo will take on England in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Africa has emerged as one of the biggest stories of the tournament, with nine of its 10 representatives reaching the knockout phase. Football experts praised such an outstanding performance by the continent representatives, calling it a remarkable achievement, given the global stage.

The round of 32 features 13 European teams, five from South America, and two from Asia. The three North American sides advancing are co-hosts Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

A major shock came with Uruguay’s elimination despite being ranked 16th in the world before the tournament began.

Iran also narrowly missed out after drawing all three of their group matches. Their hopes ended following a late equaliser in another match that reshaped the best third-place standings and pushed them out of qualification.

Only three teams managed perfect group-stage records: Argentina, France, and Mexico.

One of the most anticipated clashes of the round of 32 will see the Netherlands face Morocco in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Dutch impressed with 10 goals in the group stage, while Morocco continued their strong recent form after reaching the semifinals in 2022.

The Golden Boot race is also heating up. Lionel Messi leads with six goals, while France’s Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, Brazil’s Vinicius Junior, and Norway’s Erling Haaland are all on four. England captain Harry Kane is among several players with three goals.

FIFA round of 32 fixtures

Sunday

South Africa vs Canada (Inglewood, California)

Monday

Brazil vs Japan (Houston)

Germany vs Paraguay (Foxborough, Massachusetts)

Netherlands vs Morocco (Guadalupe, Mexico)

Tuesday

Ivory Coast vs Norway (Arlington, Texas)

France vs Sweden (East Rutherford, New Jersey)

Mexico vs Ecuador (Mexico City)

Wednesday

England vs DR Congo (Atlanta)

Belgium vs Senegal (Seattle)

United States vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (Santa Clara, California)

Thursday

Spain vs Austria (Inglewood, California)

Portugal vs Croatia (Toronto)

Switzerland vs Algeria (Vancouver)

Friday

Australia vs Egypt (Arlington, Texas)

Argentina vs Cape Verde (Miami Gardens, Florida)

Colombia vs Ghana (Kansas City, Missouri)

The round of 16 will be played July 4–7, followed by quarterfinals on July 9–11. The semifinals are scheduled for July 14 in Arlington and July 15 in Atlanta, with the third-place match in Miami Gardens on July 18 and the final set for July 19 in East Rutherford.