The 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage features three high-profile Round of 32 matches on June 29, including Brazil against Japan, Germany against Paraguay, and Netherlands against Morocco, according to Al Jazeera and Mashable. These matches are part of a newly expanded format that includes a 32-team tournament before the last 16, as reported by 아주경제, though Canada has already advanced to the last 16 with a 1-0 win over South Africa, marking its first-ever World Cup knockout victory, per Al Jazeera.

Matchup Highlights

Brazil faces Japan at 12 noon ET (17:00 GMT) in Houston, Texas, a match where Brazil has dominated historically, winning 11 of 14 previous meetings and the only prior World Cup encounter 20 years ago with a 4-1 victory, according to Al Jazeera. Germany meets Paraguay at 4:30 pm ET (20:30 GMT) in Boston, Massachusetts, while the Netherlands face Morocco at 9:00 pm ET (01:00 GMT on Tuesday) in Monterrey, Mexico, as detailed by Mashable and Al Jazeera.

Japan’s rise in the tournament has been notable, as they remain unbeaten and came close to defeating Netherlands and Sweden in the group stage, according to Mashable. Germany, while strong in their opening matches, had a surprising loss to Ecuador in the group stage, raising questions about their consistency, as noted in Mashable.

Expanded Format and Seeding

The 2026 World Cup features 48 teams, with the top 24 group finishers and eight third-placed teams advancing to the 32-team knockout stage, according to 아주경제. This format has allowed for the participation of several top-ranked teams, including Argentina (1st), Spain (2nd), France (3rd), England (4th), and Portugal (5th), all of whom have advanced to the Round of 32, per 아주경제. In the first 32nd final. Canada, ranked 30th, defeated South Africa, ranked 60th, to become the first team to reach the last 16, according to Al Jazeera.

Other notable upcoming matches include France against Sweden (June 30), England against DR Congo (July 2), and Spain against Austria (July 3), with France at 3rd, Sweden at 38th, England at 4th, and DR Congo at 46th in the FIFA rankings, as reported by 아주경제.

Viewing and Coverage

For U.S. viewers. Matches can be watched on Fox and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage available on Peacock, according to Mashable. Goal.com reports that Peacock will offer all Spanish-language coverage in Spain with commentary from Telemundo, along with interactive features such as multiview for simultaneous games, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for immersive experience, and catch-up highlights for missed action.

OneFootball notes that the World Cup has delivered unexpected results so far, including Germany’s 7-1 win over Curaçao and Spain’s surprising draw with Cape Verde; the upcoming matches are expected to be equally unpredictable as teams adjust to the expanded format and intense competition.