The first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended with nail-biting clashes as the teams made the final push to qualify for the Round of 32.
Bosnia and Herzegovina became the team to qualify as the third-placed side, while 24 teams filled automatic qualification spots in twelve groups. Defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, will take on Cape Verde for a place in the pre-quarter-finals. The small African team stunned Spain and Uruguay, leaving them level in the group stage.
The 2026 edition of the quadrennial tournament saw 48 teams competing for the title, which has now been reduced to 32. From now on, the matches will be single-match knockouts.
FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 full schedule:
| Competition no. | Team | Date and time of kick-off (in IST) | Date and time of kick-off (in local time) | Location |
| 1 | South Africa vs Canada | June 29, 12:30 PM | June 28, 12 noon | Los Angeles Stadium |
| 2 | Brazil vs Japan | June 29, 10:30 PM | June 29, 12 noon | Houston Stadium |
| 3 | Germany vs Paraguay | June 30, 2am | June 29, 4:30 PM | Boston Stadium |
| 4 | Netherlands vs Morocco | June 30, 6:30 am | June 29, 7:00 PM | Monterrey Stadium |
| 5 | Ivory Coast vs Norway | June 30, 10:30 PM | June 30, 12 noon | Dallas Stadium |
| 6 | France vs Sweden | July 1, 2:30 am | June 30, 5:00 PM | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| 7 | Mexico vs Ecuador | July 1, 6:30 am | June 30, 7:00 PM | Mexico City Stadium |
| 8 | England vs DR Congo | July 1, 9:30 PM | July 1, 12:00 noon | Atlanta Stadium |
| 9 | Belgium vs Senegal | July 2, 1:30 am | July 1, 1 p.m | Seattle Stadium |
| 10 | USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | July 2, 5:30 am | July 1, 5 p.m | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium |
| 11 | Spain vs Austria | July 3, 12:30 PM | July 2, 12 noon | Los Angeles Stadium |
| 12 | Portugal vs Croatia | July 3, 4:30 am | July 1, 7:00 PM | Toronto Stadium |
| 13 | Switzerland vs Algeria | July 3, 8:30 am | July 2, 8 p.m | BC Location Vancouver |
| 14 | Australia vs Egypt | July 3, 11:30 PM | July 3, 1 p.m | Dallas Stadium |
| 15 | Argentina vs Cape Verde | July 4, 3:30 PM | July 3, 6 p.m | Miami Stadium |
| 16 | Colombia vs Ghana | July 4, 7:00 am | July 3, 8:30 PM | Kansas City Stadium |
When and where can you watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Fans in India can watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 on United8 Sports 1 and 2 (SD and HD) on TV, while the matches can be streamed live on ZEE5 with a subscription.
Published on June 28, 2026
