World Cup projected round of 32 matchups, live bracket for knockout stage
World Cup projected round of 32 matchups, live bracket for knockout stage
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAYFri, June 26, 2026 at 1:58 PM UTC
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The 2026 World Cupgroup stage is coming to a close, and tickets are being punched into the round of 32.
The final matches in every group are underway, and with each result, teams are securing their spots in the knockout round thanks to top finishes in their respective groups. By qualifying for the next stage, teams then understand the path it will take to win the championships.
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As the bracket puzzle is starting to take shape, there are still plenty of pieces that need to be figured out. The top two teams in every group are guaranteed to advance, but third place teams will have to hope they've done enough in order to make it to the knockout round since only eight will make it through. Who those lucky eight are can easily change with every result.
Who is in World Cup round of 32?
As of Friday, June 26, midnight p.m. ET.
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Mexico (Group A winner) - shop knockout round tickets
Switzerland: (Group B winner) - shop knockout round tickets
Brazil: (Group C winner) - shop knockout round tickets
United States: (Group D winner) - shop knockout round tickets
Germany: (Group E winner) - shop knockout round tickets
Netherlands: (Group F winner) - shop knockout round tickets
Argentina: (Group J winner) - shop knockout round tickets
France: Advanced
Norway: Advanced
Colombia: Advanced
South Africa: (Group A runner-up) - shop knockout round tickets
Canada: (Group B runner-up) - shop knockout round tickets
Morocco: (Group C runner-up) - shop knockout round tickets
Australia: (Group D runner-up) - shop knockout round tickets
Ivory Coast: (Group E runner-up) - shop knockout round tickets
Japan: (Group F runner-up) - shop knockout round tickets
Bosnia and Herzegovina: (Group B third-place)
Ecuador: (Group E third-place)
Sweden: (Group F third-place)
Projected World Cup round of 32 matchups
Teams in bold are confirmed to be in that spot in the bracket. Placement of third place teams is based on live trackers from The Athletic, BBC and Sky Sports.
Projections are reflected of current group standings as of Friday, June 26, midnight a.m. ET.
June 29: Germany (Group E winner) vs. Paraguay (Group D third place) - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
June 30: France (Group I winner) vs. Sweden (Group F third place) - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
June 28: South Africa (Group A runner-up) vs. Canada (Group B runner-up) - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
June 29: Netherlands (Group F winner) vs. Morocco (Group C runner-up) - Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
July 2: Colombia (Group K runner-up) vs. Ghana (Group L runner-up) - Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
July 2: Spain (Group H winner) vs. Algeria (Group J runner-up) - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
July 1: United States (Group D winner) vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B third place) - Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara
July 1: Egypt (Group G winner) vs. South Korea (Group A third place) - Lumen Field, Seattle
June 29: Brazil (Group C winner) vs. Japan (Group F runner-up) - NRG Stadium, Houston
June 30: Ivory Coast (Group E runner-up) vs. Norway (Group I runner-up) - AT&T Stadium, Arlington
June 30: Mexico (Group A winner) vs. Scotland (Group C third place) - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
July 1: England (Group L winner) vs. Ecuador (Group E third place) - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
July 3: Argentina (Group J winner) vs. Cabo Verde (Group H runner-up) - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
July 3: Australia (Group D runner-up) vs. Iran (Group G runner-up) - AT&T Stadium, Arlington
July 2: Switzerland (Group B winner) vs. Belgium (Group G third place) - Vancouver Stadium, Vancouver, Canada
July 3: Portugal (Group K winner) vs. Croatia (Group L third place) - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
World Cup third place team standings
Here is the current order of third place teams. The top eight advance to the knockout round.
Standings as of Friday, June 26, midnight p.m. ET. Teams with asterisk have one more group match remaining.
Sweden: 1-1-1 (0) – 4 points (Group F) ADVANCED
Ecuador: 1-1-1 (0) – 4 points (Group E) ADVANCED
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 1-1-1 (-1) – 4 points (Group B) ADVANCED
Paraguay: 1-1-1 (-2) – 4 points (Group D)
Croatia*: 1-0-1 (-1) – 3 points (Group L)
South Korea: 1-0-2 (-1) – 3 points (Group A)
Algeria*: 1-0-1 (-2) – 3 points (Group J)
Scotland: 1-0-2 (-3) – 3 points (Group C)
Cabo Verde*: 0-2-0 (0) – 2 points (Group H)
Belgium*: 0-2-0 (0) – 2 points (Group G)
Congo DR*: 0-1-1 (-1) – 1 point (Group K)
Senegal*: 0-1-2 (-3) – 0 points (Group I)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup standings: Projected round of 32 games, live World Cup bracket
Source: “AOL Sports”
