FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Full Fixtures, IST Timings, Knockout

World Cup 2026 knockouts begin: Full Round of 32 fixtures and IST timings

The FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage is set with 16 Round of 32 fixtures. Argentina face Cape Verde, Brazil meet Japan, and Spain take on Austria as the title race intensifies.

By Aritra Chatterjee

Jun 28, 2026 16:12 IST

Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, will face Cape Verde in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after the group stage concluded on Saturday. Austria and Algeria also secured knockout berths following a dramatic six-goal draw, completing the lineup for the first knockout round of the expanded 48-team tournament.

Austria, Algeria book knockout places as group stage ends

The final day of the group stage delivered late drama as Austria and Algeria shared a 3-3 draw to qualify from Group J. Austria progressed as runners-up, while Algeria advanced as one of the best third-placed teams, ending Iran’s hopes of reaching the knockouts.

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Argentina, already through to the next round, finished on top of the group after defeating Jordan 3-1. Lionel Messi’s side maintained its unbeaten record and will now face Cape Verde, one of the tournament’s surprise packages, in the Round of 32.

Blockbuster knockout ties await

The knockout stage begins on June 29, with South Africa taking on Canada in the opening fixture. Brazil will meet Japan in one of the standout ties, while Germany face Paraguay and the Netherlands take on Morocco.

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France have been paired with Sweden, Mexico will play Ecuador, and England begin their campaign against DR Congo. Belgium meet Senegal, while the United States face Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Spain will take on Austria in a highly anticipated European clash, while Portugal are set to face Croatia. Switzerland will battle Algeria, Australia meet Egypt, and Colombia lock horns with Ghana to round off the Round of 32 fixtures.

With every match now a straight knockout, the stakes are significantly higher as teams chase a place in the Round of 16. Heavyweights such as Argentina, Brazil, France, England, Spain and Portugal remain among the favourites, but the group stage has already shown that surprise results are never far away in the expanded World Cup format. The Round of 32 will be played from June 29 to July 4 across venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico.