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The 2026 FIFA World Cup finals tournament remained tied in the round of 32 on Monday, with Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands aiming to advance to the last 16 against Canada.
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Five-time champions Brazil will take on an improving Japan, Germany will take on Paraguay as they look to advance to the group stage for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2014, while the Netherlands will take on Morocco in the final match of the day.
Apart from the match, Canada celebrated their historic first World Cup finals victory, Iran reflected on their heartbreaking loss due to a late VAR decision, and South Korea is looking for a new coach following the resignation of coach Hong Myung-bo.
Here’s what we know:
What is the schedule for Monday?
Brazil vs. Japan: (noon/17:00 GMT) at Houston Stadium, Texas, USA Germany vs. Paraguay: (4:30pm GMT/20:30 GMT) at Boston Stadium, Massachusetts, USA Netherlands vs. Morocco: (Tuesday 7:00pm/1:00 GMT) at Monterrey Stadium, Mexico
What are your predictions for Brazil vs. Japan?
Brazil has dominated this game for years, winning 11 of the past 14 meetings with Japan and losing just once.
Their only meeting in a World Cup was 20 years ago, when Brazil won 4-1. However, Japan will face this match with confidence after overcoming a two-goal deficit and ending Brazil’s long unbeaten streak with a dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind victory at the Tokyo Games last October.
Thanks to the Opta supercomputer, Brazil is the favorite to advance to the next round.
In 25,000 pre-game simulations, Brazil won 57.3% of the time, while Japan won 19.7%. The remaining 23.0% of simulations end in a tie after 90 minutes, with the game decided in overtime or penalties.
What are your predictions for Germany vs. Paraguay?
Germany and Paraguay have only met twice before, and they will meet in the knockout stage.
Their only previous World Cup encounter was in the round of 16 in 2002. In an entertaining international friendly in 2013, both teams drew 3-3.
Thanks to the Opta supercomputer, Germany is the clear favorite to make the leap.
Germany has a 54.7% chance of winning within 90 minutes, while Paraguay’s chance is 23.1%. The remaining 22.3% of simulations ended in a tie after regular time, with the game going into overtime and possibly penalties.
Looking beyond this match, Germany have a 78.6% chance of making it to the last 16 and a 4.4% chance of winning the World Cup.
What are your predictions for Netherlands vs. Morocco?
This will be the second time that the Netherlands and Morocco will face each other in a World Cup.
The last time the two sides met was in the group stage in 1994, when the Netherlands won 2-1 with goals from Dennis Bergkamp and Brian Roy.
Historically, the Netherlands has performed well against African opponents at the World Cup. They remain unbeaten in six such matches, scoring at least two goals in each victory. But Tuesday’s draw will be the first knockout match against an African nation.
Meanwhile, Morocco arrived in a confident mood after defeating Scotland and are looking for their first consecutive World Cup wins against European opponents.
Opta supercomputer gives the Netherlands an advantage.
Of 25,000 pre-match simulations, Ronald Koeman’s side won 47.6 percent of the time, while Morocco advanced in 25.0 percent. The remaining 27.4% of simulations resulted in a tie at the 90-minute mark, with the game going into extra time and penalties if necessary.
What else is going on?
Canada makes history with first World Cup finals victory
Canada defeated South Africa in a dramatic stoppage-time victory, advancing to the final round of the tournament for the first time and reaching the last 16 of the Men’s World Cup for the first time.
Stephen Eustaquio’s late goal sparked jubilant celebrations among the co-hosts, with head coach Jesse Marsh telling his players they had become “Canadian heroes” and inspired the next generation of soccer players.
The celebration was made even more moving by the presence of midfielder Ismael Cohn, who suffered a tournament-ending fractured leg early in the tournament, but celebrated the landmark moment in Canadian football history with his teammates on crutches.
Iran’s World Cup exit leaves fans divided after dramatic ending
Iran’s World Cup campaign came to a heartbreaking end as Team Melli narrowly missed out on advancing to the finals.
This dramatic defeat caused an emotional reaction across Iran. Head coach Amir Galenoei said his team’s misfortune was unusual after Iran became the first team in the tournament to have three goals ruled out by VAR.
State television commentators also questioned the status of the final qualifying results, but Austrian coach Ralf Rangnick dismissed suggestions of collusion, saying only a “completely insane person” could believe that the match was match-fixed.
South Korea coach resigns after World Cup defeat
South Korean coach Hong Myung-bo resigned following harsh criticism from President Lee Jae-myung and the team’s exit from the World Cup group stage.
Following the disappointing election campaign, President Lee ordered a complete review of the national team program, describing the results as “very disconcerting” and calling into question both the team’s structure and Hong’s appointment.
“This proves once again that personnel decisions determine everything,” Lee said. “When loyalty and sectarianism are valued over competence, and incompetent people are appointed as leaders, the results are as predictable as fire.”
