FIFA World Cup Round of 32 Complete Preview

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is once again giving complete football entertainment. As the Group Stage has finished, the Round of 32 is underway, featuring some of the excellent matchups so far. Mainly, the Japan vs Brazil, Morocco vs Netherlands, and Portugal vs Croatia are clashes of giants. On the other hand, Germany, Norway, and France are facing tier-2 nations with a respectable depth. With Canada already qualifying for the Round of 16, the race for the next level is intense. Above all, the Cape Verde vs Argentina clash is the main highlight of the round. The first-time World Cup participant shut three big teams in the Group Stage with their terrific offense and equalizing nature. Could the giants survive the Round of 32? Let’s see it in the FIFA World Cup predictions below.

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Canada Beats South Africa – First Knockout of FIFA World Cup 2026

Canada has officially knocked South Africa out of the competition in the Round of 32. The 1-0 thriller was a seat-edge feast for fans as neither side scored until 90 minutes. It was anticipated that the penalty rounds would take place. However, Stephen Eustáquio scored the decider in the 90+2 extra time, sending South Africa home. This win by Canada, one of the host nations, has given them hope of progressing further.

FIFA World Cup Round of 32 – Upcoming Fixtures

Brazil vs Japan

Date: 29 June 2026

Time: 10:30 pm IST | 01:00 pm ET

Venue: Houston Stadium

Germany vs Paraguay

Date: 29 June 2026

Time:  02:00 am IST (Next Day) | 04:30 pm ET

Venue: Boston Stadium

Netherlands vs Morocco

Date: 29 June 2026

Time: 06:30 am IST (Next Day) | 09:00 pm ET

Venue: Monterrey Stadium

Ivory Coast vs Norway

Date: 30 June 2026

Time: 10:30 pm IST | 01:00 pm ET

Venue: Dallas Stadium

France vs Sweden

Date: 30 June 2026

Time: 02:30 am IST (Next Day) | 05:00 pm ET

Venue: New York New Jersey Stadium

Mexico vs Ecuador

Date: 30 June 2026

Time: 06:30 am IST (Next Day) | 09:00 pm ET

Venue: Mexico City Stadium

FIFA World Cup – Upcoming Fixtures and Expert Picks

Brazil vs Japan Prediction

Expected Starting Lineup for Brazil

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Alisson
Defenders	Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas Santos
Midfielders	Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Lucas Paquetá
Forwards	Rayan, Matheus Cunha, Vinícius Júnior

Expected Starting Lineup for Japan

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Zion Suzuki
Defenders	Hiroki Ito, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ko Itakura
Midfielders	Ritsu Doan, Ao Tanaka, Daichi Kamada, Keito Nakamura
Forwards	Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda, Ayase Ueda

Prediction

Under Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil finished the Group Stage with 2 wins and a draw. Particularly, Vinicius Junior’s offensive game is out of this world. He scored four goals in three appearances, highlighting the striker’s attacking efficiency. Conversely, Japan has a good but comparatively underwhelming squad. They have a good clutch performance. However, Brazil’s squad is deeper than Japan’s. So, Brazil is predicted to win.

Pick: Brazil.

Germany vs Paraguay Prediction

Expected Starting Lineup for Germany

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Manuel Neuer
Defenders	Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rüdiger, Jonathan Tah, Nathaniel Brown
Defensive Midfielders	Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlović
Attacking Midfielders	Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz
Forwards	Kai Havertz

Expected Starting Lineup for Paraguay

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Orlando Gill
Defenders	Juan José Cáceres, Gustavo Velázquez, Júnior Alonso, Fabian Balbuena
Midfielders	Miguel Almirón, Andrés Cubas, Matías Galarza, Mauricio
Forwards	Julio Enciso, Gabriel Ávalos

Prediction

Germany opened the game with a 7-1 win against Curacao. They won twice and lost once in the Group Stage. Germany has lethal offensive threats like Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz, and Jamal Musiala. They have been incredibly great in playmaking and finishing. Meanwhile, Paraguay relies only on Julio Enciso and Miguel Almiron’s creative playmaking. They will likely focus on closing the gaps and tightening the chances for Germany to force a penalty. They have previously secured draws against Turkey and Australia. Although Paraguay aims for a penalty, Germany’s playmaking will find the net.

Pick: Germany.

Netherlands vs Morocco Prediction

Expected Starting Lineup for the Netherlands

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Bart Verbruggen
Defenders	Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven
Midfielders	Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong, Tijjani Reijnders
Forwards	Donyell Malen, Brian Brobbey, Cody Gakpo

Expected Starting Lineup for Morocco

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Yassine Bounou
Defenders	Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Chadi Riad, Issa Diop
Midfielders	Ayyoub Bouaddi, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El Khannouss
Forwards	Brahim Díaz, Ismael Saibari, Soufiane Rahimi

Prediction

Netherlands vs Morocco is a strong matchup where both sides are absolutely intimidating. Both the Netherlands and Brazil finished the Group Stage with 2 wins and a draw each. Now they face each other in a tight contest. The Netherlands’ defense is terrific, with Virgil van Dijk in the midfield. His defensive tactics abruptly stop the buildup play and often force turnovers. Similarly, Morocco also has a strong game, with exceptional scoring ability. They have a significantly deep squad that has upset giants like Portugal in the previous World Cup. Despite the close contest, Morocco has the edge over the Netherlands, given their offensive strength.

Pick: The Netherlands.

Ivory Coast vs Norway Prediction

Expected Starting Lineup for the Ivory Coast

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Yahia Fofana
Defenders	Guela Doué, Ousmane Diomande, Odilon Kossounou, Ghislain Konan
Midfielders	Ibrahim Sangaré, Franck Kessié, Jean Michaël Seri
Forwards	Amad Diallo, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Nicolas Pépé

Expected Starting Lineup for Norway

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Ørjan Nyland
Defenders	Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Leo Østigård, Birger Meling
Defensive Midfielders	Sander Berge, Patrick Berg
Attacking Midfielders	Martin Ødegaard, Antonio Nusa, Alexander Sørloth
Forward	Erling Haaland

Prediction

Norway comes as a dark horse for this 2026 FIFA World Cup. They have two wins and a loss in the Group Stage. Their squad is easily one of the best lineups in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mainly, Erling Haaland carries the team as a sole powerhouse striker. His goal-scoring ability is simply outstanding. Ivory Coast, in contrast, comes with its defense-first strategy against Norway. They aim to face Haaland’s attacking threat with tactical set-piece execution. But still, the coordination among Haaland, Sørloth, Ødegaard, and Nusa is exceptionally powerful. So, Norway is the favorite to win.

Pick: Norway.

France vs Sweden Prediction

Expected Starting Lineup for France

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Mike Maignan
Defenders	Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Hernández
Defensive Midfielders	Manu Koné, Aurélien Tchouaméni
Attacking Midfielders	Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola
Forwards	Kylian Mbappé

Expected Starting Lineup for Sweden

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Zetterström
Defenders	Victor Lindelöf, Lagerbielke, Gudmundsson
Midfielders	Stroud, Ayari, Bergvall, Bernhardsson
Forwards	Anthony Elanga, Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres

Prediction

France enters as a top pick for this 2026 FIFA World Cup. They have one of the very best squads in the 2026 tournament. With a deep squad and an experienced lineup, France has a solid attacking front. Their midfield dominance and passing game are elite, with good finishing. Sweden, in contrast, has a decent attacking front. But their playmaking and midfield defense are comparably weak. So, France is the favorite to win in this FIFA World Cup clash.

Pick: France.

Mexico vs Ecuador Prediction

Expected Starting Lineup for Mexico

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	José Rangel
Defenders	Jorge Sánchez, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Jesús Gallardo
Midfielders	Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Roberto Alvarado
Forwards	Brian Gutierrez, Raúl Jiménez, Julián Quiñones

Expected Starting Lineup for Ecuador

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Alexander Domínguez
Defenders	Alan Franco, Joel Ordóñez, Willian Pacho, Piero Hincapié
Midfielders	John Yeboah, Moises Caicedo, Pedro Vite, Nilson Angulo
Forwards	Gonzalo Plata, Enner Valencia

Prediction

Mexico won all three Group Stage games, beating South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia. This is the first time that Mexico has won all the games in the World Cup. Without conceding a single goal, Mexico’s defensive side remains solid. Ecuador, in contrast, had an average performance in the Group Stage. But their recent 2-1 win against Germany proved their giant-killing ability. Yet, Mexico’s capability is slightly better than Ecuador’s. So, Mexico is predicted to win in this FIFA World Cup match.

Pick: Mexico.

Conclusion

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is genuinely impressive, with several stars appearing for one last time. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Manuel Neuer, and Mohamed Salah are at their final chance. Meanwhile, the younger generation of footballers, Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, Endrick, and João Neves, are actively shaping new storylines. However, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will ultimately reveal if the younger talent can beat veterans.