Cape Verde’s impressive debut has propelled them to the top of the list of teams for the World Cup finals, which begin in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Published June 27, 2026
The 48-team FIFA World Cup is nearing the end of its group stage matches, with the final tournament starting on Sunday.
Only 32 teams will advance to the next round of football’s most prestigious tournament. It will be the first time that 48 teams will participate in the 2026 repeat tournament in North America, and some debuting teams have already established themselves.
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Here’s what you need to know about the Round of 32.
What is the format of the World Cup final?
The top two teams in each of the 12 groups and the top eight third-place teams will advance to the finals.
The finals will begin with the Round of 32, which was introduced at the World Cup after the tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams.
This will be followed by the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and third-place match. The final will be on July 19th.
Here’s a stage-by-stage breakdown of the tournament’s knockout schedule:
Round of 32: June 28th to July 3rd
Round 16: July 4-7
Quarterfinals: July 9th-11th
Semi-finals: July 14th-15th
Bronze medal match: July 18th
Last day: July 19th
Which teams qualified for the Round of 32?
So far, 28 teams have qualified for the final tournament. They include:
⚽️Colombia
⚽️Argentina
⚽️France
⚽️Norway
⚽️Germany
⚽️America
⚽️Mexico
⚽️Switzerland
⚽️Canada
⚽️Brazil
⚽️Morocco
⚽️South Africa
⚽️Ivory Coast
⚽️Bosnia and Herzegovina
⚽️Ecuador
⚽️Netherlands
⚽️Japan
⚽️Sweden
⚽️Australia
⚽️Spain
⚽️ Cape Verde
⚽️Paraguay
⚽️Egypt
⚽️UK
⚽️Ghana
⚽️Portugal
⚽️Belgium
⚽️Senegal
2026 FIFA World Cup: Round of 32 full schedule
Sunday, June 28th
South Africa vs. Canada, 12:00 PM (19:00 GMT) — Los Angeles Stadium, USA
Monday June 29th
Brazil vs. Japan, 12pm (17:00 GMT) — Houston Stadium, USA Germany vs. Paraguay, 4:30pm (20:30 GMT) — Boston Stadium, USA Netherlands vs. Morocco, 7:00pm (1:00pm GMT+1) — Estadio Monterrey, Mexico
Tuesday, June 30th
Ivory Coast vs. Norway, 12:00 pm (17:00 GMT) — Dallas Stadium, USA France vs. Sweden, 5:00 pm (22:00 GMT) — New York/New Jersey Stadium, USA Mexico vs. 3C/3E/3F/3H/3I, 7:00 pm (2:00 GMT+1) — Mexico City Stadium, Mexico
Wednesday, July 1st
USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5pm (1:00 GMT +1) — San Francisco Stadium, USA 1L vs. 3EHIJK, 12:00pm (16:00 GMT) — Atlanta Stadium, USA 1G vs. 3AEHIJ, 1:00pm (20:00 GMT) — Seattle Stadium, USA
Thursday, July 2nd
Spain vs 2J, 12pm (19:00 GMT) — Los Angeles Stadium, USA 2K vs 2L, 7pm (23:00 GMT) — Toronto Stadium, Canada Switzerland vs 3EFGIJ, 8pm (03:00 GMT+1) — Vancouver Stadium, Canada
Friday, July 3rd
Australia vs 2G, 1pm (18:00 GMT) — Dallas Stadium, USA Argentina vs Cape Verde, 6pm (22:00 GMT) — Miami Stadium, USA 1K vs 3DEIJL, 8:30pm (01:30 GMT+1) — Kansas City Stadium, USA
