The 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage continues with three more round of 32 ties. Brazil, Germany, and the Netherlands are all looking to advance to the last 16, following Canada‘s historic progression.
The day’s fixtures include a match between Brazil and Japan, Germany facing Paraguay, and the Netherlands playing Morocco. These games are set to take place across stadiums in the United States and Mexico.
Key matchups and predictions
The first match sees Brazil take on Japan at Houston Stadium, Texas, in the US. Brazil, five-time champions, have historically dominated this fixture, winning 11 of their 14 previous encounters with Japan and losing only once. Their sole World Cup meeting occurred 20 years ago, where Brazil secured a 4-1 victory. However, Japan recently ended Brazil‘s long unbeaten run against them with a 3-2 comeback win in Tokyo last October, overturning a two-goal deficit.
The Opta supercomputer predicts Brazil as the favorites to advance, with Brazil winning 57.3 percent of 25,000 pre-match simulations, compared to Japan‘s 19.7 percent. The remaining 23.0 percent of simulations resulted in a draw after 90 minutes, indicating potential extra time or a penalty shootout. Brazil finished atop Group C with seven points, while Japan finished second in Group F.
Brazil‘s Vinícius Júnior has been a key player, scoring in all three group stage games. Neymar, at 34, also made an appearance against Scotland after a long absence and is available for the knockout rounds. Japan has faced injury challenges, with some starters unavailable before the tournament and midfielder Takefusa Kubo suffering a knee injury during the competition.
The second game features Germany against Paraguay at Boston Stadium, Massachusetts, in the US. This will be only their third meeting, with their previous World Cup encounter being a last-16 contest in 2002. The Opta supercomputer favors Germany to progress, giving them a 54.7 percent chance of winning within 90 minutes, while Paraguay‘s chances stand at 23.1 percent. A draw after normal time occurred in 22.3 percent of simulations.
Germany is looking to advance beyond the group stage for the first time since their 2014 victory. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann‘s team plays with an attacking style, driven by midfielders Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, with Kai Havertz as a primary attacking focal point. Paraguay has demonstrated strong defense, not conceding a goal in their last two games, and will likely employ a low block strategy against Germany.
The final match of the day pits the Netherlands against Morocco at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico. This marks only their second World Cup encounter, with the Netherlands winning their 1994 group stage match 2-1. The Netherlands has a strong record against African opposition in the World Cup, remaining unbeaten in six such matches and scoring at least twice in each victory.
Morocco enters this match with confidence after a win against Scotland and aims for consecutive World Cup wins over European opponents. The Opta supercomputer gives the Netherlands the edge, with Ronald Koeman‘s side winning 47.6 percent of 25,000 pre-match simulations, while Morocco progressed in 25.0 percent. The remaining 27.4 percent of simulations were level after 90 minutes. The Netherlands won Group F with seven points, and Morocco made the semifinals in 2022.
Other tournament developments
Away from these fixtures, Canada is celebrating their first World Cup knockout victory, achieved through a dramatic stoppage-time goal against South Africa. Midfielder Ismael Kone, despite a tournament-ending leg injury, joined his teammates in celebration.
Meanwhile, Iran‘s World Cup campaign concluded with a narrow elimination, marked by three goals disallowed by VAR. South Korea‘s head coach, Hong Myung-bo, resigned following the team’s group-stage exit, which prompted a review of the national team program by President Lee Jae-myung.
The matches are scheduled for Monday, June 29, with Brazil vs Japan at 12 noon/17:00 GMT, Germany vs Paraguay at 4:30pm/20:30 GMT, and Netherlands vs Morocco at 7pm/01:00 GMT on Tuesday.
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Source: aljazeera.com
