World Cup 2026 Round of 32 — Bracket, Fixtures and Odds
Available in USThe group stage ends on 27 June and the Round of 32 begins the next day. With Groups A through I complete and J, K and L decided on Saturday night, the bracket has largely taken shape. This reference page lists every confirmed Round of 32 tie with its Irish kick-off time and fractional odds, notes which ties tonight’s final group matches decide, and explains how Irish viewers can follow the first knockout round.
Contents
- 1. Round of 32 at a glance
- 2. Confirmed ties (28 June – 1 July)
- 3. Round of 32 odds
- 4. Who has qualified
- 5. Best-third-placed picture
- 6. What tonight’s matches decide
- 7. Irish viewing guide
- 8. Frequently asked questions
- The Round of 32 starts on 28 June with South Africa vs Canada (8:00 pm IST) at SoFi Stadium.
- Seven ties are already confirmed, including Brazil vs Japan, Germany vs Paraguay and Netherlands vs Morocco on 29 June.
- Sweden, Paraguay and Bosnia-Herzegovina have secured best-third places through the revealed bracket; the rest of that ranking finalises after Groups J, K and L.
- Germany are the shortest-priced of the confirmed ties at 2/5; France vs Sweden has France at 1/3.
1. Round of 32 at a glance {#glance}
The 2026 World Cup is the first with a 48-team field, adding a Round of 32 before the last 16. Eight of the twelve third-placed teams advance alongside the group winners and runners-up. Kick-off times below are converted to Irish Standard Time (IST = ET + 5h); the knockout window for Irish viewers runs roughly 6:00 pm to 2:30 am.
2. Confirmed ties (28 June – 1 July) {#confirmed-ties}
2.1 Opening tie: South Africa vs Canada {#south-africa-canada}
The Round of 32 opens at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, 28 June (8:00 pm IST). South Africa reached the knockouts for the first time but lost two players to suspension against Mexico — Sphephelo Sithole (DOGSO) and Themba Zwane (violent conduct). Canada are without Ismaël Koné (broken leg) and are managing Alphonso Davies’ return from a long-term injury.
2.2 29 June ties {#june-29}
| Kick-off (IST) | Tie | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 pm | Brazil vs Japan | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| 9:30 pm | Germany vs Paraguay | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| 2:00 am (30 Jun) | Netherlands vs Morocco | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
Brazil are without Éder Militão (hamstring surgery) and Rodrygo (torn ACL) for the rest of the tournament, while Japan are missing Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring). Netherlands carry long-term absentees in Jurriën Timber, Xavi Simons and — for Morocco — Nayef Aguerd.
2.3 30 June – 1 July ties {#june-30}
| Kick-off (IST) | Tie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 pm | Ivory Coast vs Norway | 30 June |
| 10:00 pm | France vs Sweden | 30 June |
| 1:00 am (2 Jul) | USA vs Bosnia-Herzegovina | 1 July |
3. Round of 32 odds {#odds}
Fractional (Irish primary), decimal in brackets, from the OddsPortal 1X2 six-book aggregate as of 27 June. "1" is the first-named team.
| Tie | Team 1 | Draw | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa vs Canada | 19/4 (5.73) | 8/3 (3.67) | 4/5 (1.77) |
| Brazil vs Japan | 3/4 (1.75) | 29/10 (3.88) | 9/2 (5.48) |
| Germany vs Paraguay | 2/5 (1.42) | 4/1 (5.08) | 15/2 (8.70) |
| Netherlands vs Morocco | 5/4 (2.25) | 12/5 (3.41) | 11/4 (3.79) |
| Ivory Coast vs Norway | 3/1 (4.00) | 14/5 (3.78) | 21/20 (2.05) |
| France vs Sweden | 1/3 (1.33) | 5/1 (6.04) | 10/1 (11.40) |
| USA vs Bosnia-Herzegovina | 4/9 (1.45) | 4/1 (5.02) | 8/1 (9.20) |
Germany (2/5) and France (1/3) are the heaviest favourites of the confirmed ties; Netherlands vs Morocco is the closest, with Morocco at 11/4 a live underdog. For the tournament-winner market, see our outright winner odds.
4. Who has qualified {#qualified}
Group winners and runners-up from the eight completed groups (A–I, with J/K/L resolving on 27 June):
| Group | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| A | Mexico | South Africa |
| B | Switzerland | Canada / Bosnia-Herzegovina* |
| C | Brazil | Morocco |
| D | USA | Australia |
| E | Germany | Ivory Coast |
| F | Netherlands | Japan |
| G | Belgium | Egypt |
| H | Spain | Cape Verde |
| I | France | Norway |
*Group B’s second and third places (Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina) both reached the Round of 32 via the standings and best-third ranking. Groups J (Argentina through), K (Colombia through) and L (England leading) finalise on 27 June.
5. Best-third-placed picture {#best-third}
Eight of the twelve third-placed teams advance. The official ranking confirms Sweden (Group F) and Ecuador (Group E) as the top two on four points, with Sweden ahead on goals scored. Sweden, Paraguay and Bosnia-Herzegovina are already drawn into Round of 32 ties, so their qualification is confirmed. Senegal, Iran, Korea Republic, Scotland and Uruguay remain in contention against the three third-placed sides from Groups J, K and L, with the final ranking set once those groups finish. We tracked the earlier snapshot on our qualified teams so far page.
6. What tonight’s matches decide {#decided-tonight}
The Round of 32 placements for the Group J, K and L sides — Argentina, Austria or Algeria, Colombia, Portugal, England, Ghana and Croatia — are set by tonight’s final group matches and the closing best-third ranking. This page lists each tie as the group stage completes. For the 27 June fixtures that decide them, see the 27 June predictions and 26 June results.
7. Irish viewing guide {#irish-viewing}
Every match is free-to-air in Ireland, shared between RTÉ and Virgin Media, with RTÉ-broadcast games also streamed on the RTÉ Player. The Round of 32 schedule suits Irish viewers well: most ties fall in the 6:00 pm to 2:30 am IST window, with the marquee Brazil vs Japan tie a 6:00 pm teatime kick-off on 29 June.
8. Frequently asked questions {#faq}
Sources (27 June 2026): fixtures and bracket (OddsPortal, Yahoo Sports), group tables (Wikipedia, cross-checked vs NBC/ESPN), best-third ranking (official standings), odds (OddsPortal aggregate, converted to fractional); RTÉ/Virgin Media coverage per RTÉ. Kick-off times converted to IST (ET + 5h). Odds for information only — 18+, gamble responsibly.
Related: World Cup 2026 Groups · World Cup 2026 Schedule (Ireland) · World Cup 2026 Odds
