
Samira Vishwas
Tezzbuzz|29-06-2026
The biggest World Cup football, which features as many as 48 teams competing for the crown, saw its group stage coming to an end on Saturday (June 27). Sixteen teams were eliminated at the end of the preliminary rounds and 32 advancing to the knock-out stage. All the three co-hosts of the tournament, the US, Canada and Mexico were among those qualified.
The Round of 32 will kick off on Sunday (June 28) with South Africa taking on Canada in Inglewood, California, the US.
Seven of the eight teams that have won the World Cup title so far (Italy could not qualify this year) have made it to the second round.Also read: Messi bags 6th in World Cup 2026 albeit late start vs Jordan, maintains Golden Boot lead
Sixteen matches will be played over a period of six days (till July 3). Twelve of these games will be hosted in the US and two each in Mexico and Canada. The final will be held in the US on July 19.
The teams were divided into 12 groups with four teams each. While the top two teams from each group advanced to the Group of 32 straight, eight best third-placed teams (goal difference considered if points are same) joined them.
Here are the teams from each group that qualified for the Round of 32 (first, second and third in order):
Group A: Mexico, South Africa
Group B: Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Group C: Brazil, Morocco
Group D: USA, Australia and Paraguay
Group E: Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: The 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, DR Congo
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana
Also read: Ronaldo’s ‘awesome’ reply to facing Messi query at FIFA World Cup
Here is the full FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 schedule with their IST timings:
Monday, June 29
South Africa vs Canada, Inglewood, USA — 12.30 am IST
Brazil vs Japan, Houston, USA — 10.30 pm IST
Tuesday, June 30
Germany vs Portugal, Foxborough, USA — 2 am IST
Netherlands vs Morocco, Guadalupe, Mexico — 6.30 am IST
Ivory Coast vs Norway, Arlington, USA — 10.30 pm IST
Wednesday, July 1
France vs Sweden, Rutherford, USA — 2.30 am IST
Mexico vs Ecuador, Mexico City, Mexico — 6.30 am IST
England vs DR Congo, Atlanta, USA — 9.30 pm IST
Thursday, July 2
Belgium vs Senegal, Seattle, USA — 1.30 am IST
USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, Santa Clara, USA — 5.30 am IST
Friday, July 3
Spain vs Austria, Inglewood, USA — 12.30 am IST
Portugal vs Croatia, Toronto, Canada — 4.30 am IST
Switzerland vs Algeria, Vancouver, Canada — 8.30 am IST
Australia vs Egypt, Arlington, USA — 11.30 pm IST
Saturday, July 4
Argentina vs Cape Verde, Miami, USA — 3.30 am IST
Colombia vs Ghana, Kansas, USA — 7 am IST




