The group stage is ending, who will teams face in the knockouts once they qualify?


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The 2026 World Cup road to the final is gradually shaping as the 48 teams involved in the tournament are currently playing their last round of the group phase. After the group stage, the tournament will move into the knockout phase, featuring the 32 best teams from the initial round. The field will consist of the 12 group winners, the 12 runners-up, and the eight best third-placed teams across the 12 groups. As the last round of games is evolving, let's take a look at the current bracket and who is facing whom as of today:

Round of 32 bracket projection
As of Saturday, June 27, 1 a.m. ET. The teams in bold have been confirmed.

June 28: South Africa (Group A runner-up) vs. Canada (Group B runner-up) - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
June 29: Brazil (Group C winner) vs. Japan (Group F runner-up) - NRG Stadium, Houston
June 29: Germany (Group E winner) vs. Paraguay (Group D third place) - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
June 29: Netherlands (Group F winner) vs. Morocco (Group C runner-up) - Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
June 30: Ivory Coast (Group E runner-up) vs. Norway (Group I runner-up) - AT&T Stadium, Arlington
June 30: France (Group I winner) vs. Sweden (Group F third place) - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
June 30: Mexico (Group A winner) vs. Ecuador (Group E third place) - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
July 1: England (Group L winner) vs. Senegal (Group I third place) - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
July 1: Belgium (Group G winner) vs. South Korea (Group A third place) - Lumen Field, Seattle
July 1: United States (Group D winner) vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B third place) - Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara
July 2: Spain (Group H winner) vs. Austria (Group J runner-up) - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
July 2: Switzerland (Group B winner) vs. Iran (Group G third place) - Vancouver Stadium, Vancouver, Canada
July 2: Portugal (Group K runner-up) vs. Ghana (Group L runner-up) - Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
July 3: Australia (Group D runner-up) vs. Egypt (Group G runner-up) - AT&T Stadium, Arlington
July 3: Argentina (Group J winner) vs. Cabo Verde (Group H runner-up) - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
July 3: Colombia (Group K winner) vs. Croatia (Group L third place) - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Qualified third-place teams
Ecuador (4 points, 0 goal difference)
Sweden (4 points, 0 goal difference)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (4 points, -1 goal difference)
Paraguay (4 points, -2 goal difference)
Senegal (3 points, +2 goal difference)
Third-place teams are waiting to see if they advance
Iran (3 points, 0 goal difference)
South Korea (3 points, -1 goal difference)
Scotland (3 points, -3 goal difference)

Eliminated teams
Qatar
Panama
Tunisia
Turkiye
Haiti
Jordan
Czechia
Curacao
Iraq
Uruguay
Saudi Arabia
New Zealand

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