World Cup 2026 bracket breakdown: The matches to watch in Round of 32
After 72 exhilarating group-stage matches, the biggest FIFA World Cup in history has finally reached the knockout stage.The inaugural Round of 32 — which began with Canada’s dramatic 1-0 win over South Africa on Sunday and really gets going with three games Monday — ushers in a new era for the World Cup.Thirty-two nations are now competing in a single-elimination survival of the fittest.
Lose, and you’re headed home.Win, and advance to the next round.Before we look ahead to the Round of 32, let’s look at some of the biggest storylines from the group stage.If the group stage taught us anything, it’s that this tournament has been every bit as global as FIFA envisioned.
But no continent made a louder statement than Africa.Nine of the tournament’s 10 African representatives punched tickets to the knockout rounds, an astonishing achievement that speaks to the continent’s remarkable rise.Cape Verde, the tournament’s biggest Cinderella story, is still standing alongside powers such as Senegal, Morocco, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, South Africa and Congo.The United States, Mexico and Canada all advanced, ensuring the home crowds will continue to fuel the tournament into July.The top four betting favorites before the tournament began still remain the teams to beat.
Argentina, France, Spain and England each went undefeated and won their groups, while stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé reminded everyone why they are the best players in the world today.The inaugural Round of 32 features 16 matches across six days with several heavyweight clashes worthy of later rounds.The marquee match is between No.6 Morocco and No.
7 Netherlands, the only pairing of two top 10 FIFA-ranked teams in the Round of 32.We know at least one top-ranked team will be knocked out soon, but if you’re a fan of soccer, there are three more matches worthy of being circled.No.5 Brazil vs.
No.17 Japan has all the ingredients...