2026 World Cup Knockout Stage Set to Begin with High-Stakes Matches Across North America Group play has concluded, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup is now in its knockout phase, with the round of 32 matches set to begin. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, kicked off the knockout stage with Canada defeating South Africa in the first round-of-32 match on Sunday. The following days will see a series of high-profile encounters across the three host nations, with teams vying for progression to the next round. Monday’s round of 32 matches will feature Brazil facing off against Haiti at NRG Stadium in Houston, with the game scheduled for 10 a.m. Pacific Time and broadcast on Fox and Telemundo. Brazil, which dominated Group C with consecutive 3-0 victories over Haiti and Scotland, has not been eliminated in the first knockout stage since 1990. The team’s attacking prowess is highlighted by Vinícius Júnior’s four goals and Matheus Cunha’s three, while goalkeeper Alisson Becker extended his shutout streak to 249 minutes. Meanwhile, Japan, which finished second in Group F behind the Netherlands, will face a tough test against the defending champions. Japan’s five-goal contributors in the group stage have yet to secure a knockout-round victory, marking a significant challenge. Another key match on Monday is Germany versus Paraguay at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, starting at 1:30 p.m. Germany, which scored 10 goals in the group stage, narrowly advanced by a tiebreaker over Ivory Coast. The team’s top scorers, Deniz Undav and Kai Havertz, accounted for five of Germany’s goals. Paraguay, meanwhile, advanced as a third-place team in Group D after a scoreless draw with Australia.#united_states #canada #mexico #2026_world_cup #nrq_stadium
