WORLD CUP : Knockout phase officially locked as historic group stage concludes
LOS ANGELES — The dust has finally settled on the largest and most chaotic group stage in football history. With the tournament expanded to 48 teams, the field has officially been whittled down to the final 32. From tomorrow, the safety nets are gone: the tournament shifts to a high-stakes, single-elimination bracket where it is win or go home.
Heavyweight contenders including Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, and England have all secured safe passage. They are joined by inspiring upstarts like South Africa and tournament debutants Cape Verde, both celebrating historic first-time entries into a World Cup knockout stage.
Below is the complete, ready-to-publish web portal schedule for the Round of 32 fixtures, adjusted to local viewing times.
Round of 32 complete fixture schedule
| Date | Kickoff Time (NST) | Matchup | Venue / Location |
| Mon, June 29 | 1:00 AM | South Africa vs. Canada | Los Angeles Stadium, CA |
| Mon, June 29 | 11:00 PM | Brazil vs. Japan | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Tue, June 30 | 2:30 AM | Germany vs. Paraguay | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Tue, June 30 | 7:00 AM | Netherlands vs. Morocco | Estadio Monterrey, Mexico |
| Tue, June 30 | 11:00 PM | Ivory Coast vs. Norway | TBA |
| Wed, July 1 | 3:00 AM | France vs. Sweden | TBA |
| Wed, July 1 | 6:00 AM | United States vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, CA |
| Wed, July 1 | 7:00 AM | Mexico vs. Ecuador | TBA |
| Wed, July 1 | 10:00 PM | England vs. DR Congo | TBA |
| Thu, July 2 | 2:00 AM | Belgium vs. Senegal | TBA |
| Fri, July 3 | 1:00 AM | Spain vs. Austria | TBA |
| Fri, July 3 | 5:00 AM | Portugal vs. Croatia | TBA |
| Fri, July 3 | 9:00 AM | Switzerland vs. Algeria | TBA |
| Sat, July 4 | 12:00 AM | Australia vs. Egypt | TBA |
| Sat, July 4 | 4:00 AM | Argentina vs. Cape Verde | TBA |
| Sat, July 4 | 7:30 AM | Colombia vs. Ghana | TBA |
Blockbuster narrative tracks to watch
The last dance continues: In a remarkable twist of fate embedded in the fixed bracket, Portugal will battle Croatia in the Round of 32. It sets up a legendary rematch of the Euro 2016 final, with ageless icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić still pulling the strings for their respective nations.
The new wave: Striker extraordinaire Erling Haaland has propelled Norway into a tantalizing fixture against the Ivory Coast, who boast their own breakout teenage sensation, Yan Diomande.