The group stage of the 2026 World Cup ended on June 28, and out of 48 national teams, 32 advanced to the 2026 World Cup playoffs. For the first time in World Cup history, the knockout stage begins not with the Round of 16, but with the Round of 32. And the very first days were intense: Germany and the Netherlands have already been eliminated from the tournament, both knocked out on penalties.
The World Cup playoffs have begun. Who’s playing and where to watch?
Who Advanced to the 2026 World Cup Playoffs and How
The 2026 World Cup is being hosted by three countries at once: the USA, Canada, and Mexico. This is the first tournament in history featuring 48 national teams, divided into 12 groups from A to L. A record total of 104 matches will be played at this World Cup. The reigning world champion, just in case, is Argentina.
Paraguay became the biggest sensation of the playoffs: the team defeated Germany
The qualification format for the World Cup playoffs works as follows. The top two teams from each group advance, making 24 teams. They are joined by the eight best teams among those who finished in third place. That adds up to exactly 32 participants for the knockout stage.
Here’s who made it to the Round of 32 by group (third-place finishers noted separately):
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa
- Group B: Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina (from third place)
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco
- Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay (from third place)
- Group E: Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador (from third place)
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden (from third place)
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde
- Group I: France, Norway, Senegal (from third place)
- Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria (from third place)
- Group K: Colombia, Portugal, DR Congo (from third place)
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana (from third place)
There are plenty of curious stories here. Senegal became the only team to advance with just three points, while Iran with the same three points didn’t make the playoffs and was eliminated due to an offside call by half a foot. And debutants Cape Verde sensationally finished second in the group with Spain, drawing all three of their matches.
Who to Watch in the World Cup Playoffs
The Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup is wrapping up right now, with fresh results updating literally every night. As of publication, the first four matchups have been played, and two of them produced genuine sensations. Canada beat South Africa and became the first team to secure a spot in the Round of 16. Brazil snatched victory from Japan with a 2-1 score: the Japanese were leading after a long-range strike, but Gabriel Martinelli scored the decisive goal in added time, at the 90+5 minute mark.
Brazil defeated Japan in a hard-fought battle
And then came the dramatic exits. Paraguay knocked out Germany in a penalty shootout, and the Germans haven’t won a World Cup playoff match since the 2014 final. Next, the Netherlands were also eliminated on penalties: Morocco equalized in the 91st minute, forced the shootout, and advanced. In the Round of 16, Morocco will now face Canada. We’ve put together an up-to-date table for the evening of June 30.
Up-to-date team information as of the evening of June 30
There are still plenty of intrigues ahead, and the upcoming matches are definitely worth following. Here are the best Round of 32 matches worth staying up late or waking up early for.
- In the France vs. Sweden matchup, one of the tournament’s top favorites featuring Mbappé and Dembélé faces a solid Scandinavian side that has already rattled some big teams at this World Cup.
- Spain vs. Austria is also no easy fixture: top-tier Spain meets Rangnick’s stubborn team, which reached the playoffs for the first time since 1954.
- I’d especially highlight the Portugal vs. Croatia clash. This is a duel between Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić, former Real Madrid teammates, and for both veterans this tournament will almost certainly be their last World Cup.
- And in the Argentina vs. Cape Verde pairing, the intrigue is of a different kind: the African debutants aren’t expected to pull off miracles, but this is where Lionel Messi plays — he’s already the top scorer of this World Cup and may also be appearing at the tournament for the last time.
These four matches are the ones I’d follow first and foremost — there are just so many storylines in each. But overall, there’s intrigue almost everywhere: African and Asian teams have shown up the Europeans.
2026 World Cup Playoff Schedule: Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final
From here, the tournament moves at a very tight pace. Here are the key dates for the 2026 World Cup playoff matches in Moscow time, handy to save:
- Round of 32: June 28 – July 4
- Round of 16: July 4 – July 7
- Quarterfinals: July 9 – July 12
- Semifinals: July 14 and 15 (Dallas and Atlanta)
- Third-place match: July 19 (Miami)
- 2026 World Cup Final: July 19 at 10:00 PM, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
An important nuance of the new format: the bracket doesn’t get reshuffled. There is no new draw between World Cup stages — winners simply advance along their bracket lines. For example, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can only meet in the final, while Brazil and England are separated until at least the quarterfinals.
Where to Watch the 2026 World Cup Playoffs in Russia
In Russia, broadcasting rights belong to Match TV and Kinopoisk. Match TV is showing 69 tournament games, including the final, and it’s free — on the TV channel, the website, and in the app. Some World Cup matches are available on Kinopoisk with a Yandex Plus subscription, so for full coverage it’s convenient to have both options at hand.
It turned out that the most convenient way to follow the World Cup is through Kinopoisk
