The 2026 World Cup group stage is over!
It made history as the biggest and highest-scoring opening round in tournament history, successfully debuting the newly expanded 48-team format. Across 12 groups of four, fans were treated to a massive schedule of 72 matches – a significant jump from the 48 group-stage games seen in previous modern tournaments.
The expanded fixture list delivered non-stop entertainment, producing an incredible 215 goals before the knockout rounds even began. Teams played with an attacking mindset, leading to a thrilling average of 2.99 goals per match that easily smashed prior tournament scoring records.
Out of those 72 fixtures, 55 matches ended in a definitive victory, providing plenty of drama for fans and punters alike. Only 17 games finished in a draw, proving just how hard teams were fighting to secure one of the coveted spots in the newly introduced Round of 32.
Here’s the confirmed fixtures for the Round of 32:
World Cup 2026 Round of 32
June 28
Round of 32
Match 73: South Africa vs Canada (20:00)
June 29
Round of 32
Match 76: Brazil vs Japan (18:00)
Match 74: Germany vs Paraguay (21:30)
June 30
Round of 32
Match 75: Netherlands vs Morocco (02:00)
Match 78: Ivory Coast vs Norway (18:00)
Match 77: France vs Sweden (22:00)
July 1
Round of 32
Match 79: Mexico vs Ecuador (02:00)
Match 80: England vs DR Congo (17:00)
Match 82: Belgium vs Senegal (21:00)
July 2
Round of 32
Match 81: USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (01:00)
Match 84: Spain vs Austria (20:00)
July 3
Round of 32
Match 83: Portugal vs Croatia (00:00)
Match 85: Switzerland vs Algeria (04:00)
Match 88: Australia vs Egypt (19:00)
Match 86: Argentina vs Cape Verde (23:00)
July 4
Round of 32
Match 87: Colombia vs Ghana (02:30)
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