
Four teams have booked places in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the opening Round of 32 fixtures.
Countries confirmed to be progressing to the next stage as of Tuesday, June 30 morning, are Canada, Paraguay, Morocco and Brazil.
Canada secured its place with a 1-0 victory over South Africa on Sunday, while Paraguay and Morocco advanced on Monday after dramatic penalty shootout victories over Germany and the Netherlands, respectively.
Paraguay held Germany to a 1-1 draw before prevailing 4-3 on penalties at Boston Stadium to reach the last 16.
Morocco also needed penalties to overcome the Netherlands after a 1-1 draw, winning the shootout 3-2 at Estadio Monterrey.
Brazil completed the list of teams through on Monday with a 2-1 victory over Japan at Houston Stadium, taking the total number of qualified teams to four.
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Canada will face Morocco in one of the Round of 16 fixtures on July 4, while Paraguay will meet the winner of Tuesday’s clash between France and Sweden.
Brazil will take on the winner of the Round of 32 encounter between Côte d’Ivoire and Norway.
The Round of 32 continues on Tuesday with France facing Sweden, Côte d’Ivoire taking on Norway, and co-hosts Mexico meeting Ecuador.
Wednesday’s fixtures will see England play Congo DR, the United States face Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Belgium take on Senegal.
Spain will meet Austria, Portugal will face Croatia, and Switzerland will play Algeria on Thursday, while Argentina will face Cabo Verde, Colombia will take on Ghana, and Australia will play Egypt on Friday as the race for the remaining Round of 16 places continues.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is scheduled for July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium.
View original source — The Punch ↗
