Top Matches to Watch in World Cup 2026 Round of 32 Knockout Stage

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Round of 32 Matchups Announced for 2026 World Cup

The knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup have begun, and Al Jazeera has identified several key matchups to watch. The best teams will now be competing at full strength, with no rest or holding back.

Monday, June 29 (01:00 GMT on Tuesday) - Monterrey Stadium, Mexico Morocco (6th in FIFA world rankings) vs Netherlands (7th) This matchup features two top-10 ranked teams and marks a rare encounter between the Atlas Lions and the Dutch. Morocco defeated three European foes en route to a semifinal berth at Qatar 2022 but struggled against Scotland. The Netherlands, meanwhile, has Ismael Saibari, who played for PSV Eindhoven since 2020.

Tuesday, June 30 (17:00 GMT) - Dallas Stadium, Texas, US Norway vs Ivory Coast Erling Haaland and his team were rested in the last group game against France, but should be fully recovered by now. The matchup pits Norway’s Martin Odegaard against Franck Kessie of Ivory Coast.

Tuesday, June 30 (21:00 GMT) - New York/New Jersey Stadium, US France vs Sweden France has been producing highlight-reel attacking performances with its front four, including Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. The Swedes will need to control the pace if they are to beat Les Bleus.

Wednesday, July 1 (00:00 GMT on Thursday) - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, California, US US vs Bosnia The US is set to return its first-choice starting lineup, which includes Esmir Bajraktarevic. The matchup will feature the US’s all-out pressing style, and the Bosnians will need to stay composed.

Thursday, July 2 (19:00 GMT) - Los Angeles Stadium, US Spain vs Austria This matchup marks a repeat of their 1978 World Cup encounter in Argentina, with Spain having not lost to Austria since a 1990 warm-up friendly.

Source: Al Jazeera