World Cup last 32: Best and worst games we could see in knockout stage including Portugal vs. England, Brazil vs Netherlands

After implicit 2 weeks of group-stage enactment - containing an expanded 12 groups and 48 countries - the knockout stages of the World Cup commencement connected Sunday nighttime (June 28), erstwhile the shot with existent jeopardy volition commence.

The quality of the tournament's enlargement means that fundamentally nary of the planetary powerhouses are successful information of being eliminated astatine the radical stage, with the make-to-break moments inactive to come.

Another effect of the 48-team plan of this summer's World Cup has been that clashes betwixt elite footballing nations successful the radical signifier person been absent, possibly with the objection of Brazil versus Morocco successful New Jersey connected June 13.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look astatine the champion and worst games that we could spot successful the World Cup circular of 32.

WORLD CUP 2026: LAST 32 BEST POTENTIAL FIXTURES

BRAZIL VS. NETHERLANDS (29 JUN, 8PM BST)

After a comfy 3-0 triumph implicit Scotland successful their 3rd lucifer of the World Cup connected Wednesday night, Brazil secured apical spot successful Group C connected extremity difference, meaning that they volition play the runners-up of Group F astatine Houston Stadium connected June 29.

With Tunisia guaranteed to decorativeness bottommost and retired of the tournament, it is simply a three-horse contention betwixt the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden for apical spot successful the conception during the last circular of fixtures.

Japan tin leapfrog Ronald Koeman's broadside if they are capable to amended their result, whilst Sweden tin assertion apical of the heap if they bushed Samurai Blue and the Netherlands neglect to bushed the Eagles of Carthage.

PORTUGAL VS. ENGLAND (3 JUL, 12AM BST)

The chances of our 2nd fixture are a small lower, however, lone a fewer things would request to hap connected matchday 3 for Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and England to conscionable astatine Toronto Stadium connected July 3.

The Canadian venue is acceptable to big the round-of-32 clash betwixt the runners-up of some Groups K and L, with Portugal and the Three Lions anything-but assured of apical spot successful their respective sections.

Ronaldo and institution request to bushed Colombia connected Sunday greeting to debar a second-placed finish, whilst England could suffer power of apical spot successful their radical if they neglect to bushed Panama and Ghana unafraid a triumph implicit Croatia.

NETHERLANDS VS. MOROCCO (30 JUN, 2AM BST)

Netherlands diagnostic erstwhile again successful this conception and volition look Morocco astatine Monterrey Stadium connected June 30 if they apical Group F, with Japan and Sweden facing each different during the last circular of group-stage fixtures.

One of 3 Mexican venues astatine the tournament, Monterrey Stadium would play big to a matchup betwixt the seventh and eighth spots successful the FIFA rankings, representing the spot of the necktie astatine a constituent wherever 32 teams inactive stay successful the competition.

WORLD CUP 2026: LAST 32 WORST POTENTIAL FIXTURES

SOUTH AFRICA VS. CANADA (JUN 28, 8PM BST)

It feels atrocious penning this due to the fact that 1 of the co-hosts catches a stray, but the 2026 World Cup's archetypal confirmed round-of-32 necktie is simply a premier illustration of however an expanded tourney dilutes the prime of the knockout stage.

The information that this fixture astatine Los Angeles Stadium connected June 28 has landed shot fans with a less-than-inspiring fixture is nary astonishment fixed that it volition beryllium consisted betwixt the runners-up of Group A and Group B - 2 of the weakest sections successful the full competition.

The necktie should get immoderate bonus points for having 1 of the hosts, however, Canada volition transverse the borderline distant from location and play this knockout clash connected American soil, successful beforehand of 70,000 supporters successful Inglewood.

PARAGUAY VS. IRAN (JUL 3, 7PM BST)

Despite their insipid show against the United States connected matchday one, Paraguay inactive person the accidental to decorativeness 2nd successful Group D aft a daze triumph implicit pre-tournament acheronian horses Turkey.

If so, the South Americans would combat for a last-16 spot astatine Dallas Stadium successful Texas connected July 3 against the runners-up from a anemic Group G, perchance Iran, who person fought good to draws with Belgium and New Zealand truthful far.

SWITZERLAND VS. ALGERIA (JUL 3, 4AM BST)

After becoming the archetypal broadside to decision a big federation astatine this summer's tournament, Switzerland person officially topped Group B up of Canada, mounting up a last-32 necktie with 1 of the 8 champion third-placed finishers.

That hostile could get from Group J, wherever an Algeria broadside containing an over-the-hill Riyad Mahrez stumbled to a 2-1 triumph implicit Jordan during their astir caller match, putting the African broadside successful 3rd spot for now.