World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Full schedule with Morocco set to face Netherlands in Monterrey
Full World Cup 2026 Round of 32 schedule, June 30–July 4: UAE-time kickoffs for Morocco vs Netherlands, Brazil, Germany and Argentina across US, Canada and Mexico.
The World Cup 2026 Round of 32 schedule has taken shape with high-profile clashes across the United States, Canada and Mexico between June 30 and July 4, 2026. Morocco’s meeting with the Netherlands is a focal point for Arab football fans and is listed among several marquee fixtures to be played in UAE time. Tournament organisers confirmed a sequence of knockout ties that pair group winners and runners-up with several of the best third-placed teams, producing a compact, five-day knockout window.
Opening fixtures set the tone
The knockout phase opens with a wave of fixtures across multiple venues, giving fans in the Gulf an uninterrupted stream of matches tuned to UAE time. The schedule places an early Los Angeles tie and subsequent Houston and Boston fixtures at times convenient for viewers in the Emirates, with most kickoffs announced in local UAE hour listings. Organisers have prepared to finalise some pairings only after the group stage concludes, so a few opponents remain listed generically as “one of the best third-placed teams.”
Morocco versus Netherlands declared among top ties
Morocco’s Round of 32 meeting with the Netherlands will be staged at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey on June 30, with the match scheduled for 5:00 a.m. UAE time. That fixture is the standout for Arab audiences, pitting a top African nation against a European heavyweight and potentially extending Morocco’s deep World Cup run. The match is certain to draw heavy regional interest and broadcast attention across Gulf-based sports networks.
Early knockout days and key European names
Organisers scheduled a Brazil versus Japan match at Houston and a Germany fixture in Boston among the early knockout dates, with both kickoffs lined up to suit UAE viewers. Germany’s opponent will be one of the best third-placed teams from Groups 1–5, with the match listed for 12:30 a.m. UAE time on the same early Tuesday window. Brazil’s clash with Japan is slated at 9:00 a.m. UAE time, reflecting the tournament’s spread of high-profile teams in the round of 32.
July 1: concentrated set of four matches
July 1 will host four Round of 32 games across multiple stadiums, beginning with the winner of Group 9 against a top third-placed side at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Later on the same day Mexico will take to the field in Mexico City against another top third-placed qualifier, offering a near-home knockout tie for the host nation in front of local supporters. Atlanta will stage the Group 12 winner against a third-placed team from the mix of Groups 4–8, while Seattle closes the day with the Group 7 winner facing a third-placed opponent from a separate pool.
Mid-tournament fixtures in Los Angeles, Toronto and Dallas
On July 2 the tournament returns to Los Angeles for two matches, including a high-profile United States fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina scheduled for 4:00 a.m. UAE time. The second match on July 2 pairs the Group 8 winner with the Group 10 runner-up, furthering the bracket’s progression toward the last 16. July 3 will feature three matches: a meeting between the runners-up of Groups 11 and 12 in Toronto, Switzerland facing one of the best third-placed sides in an early UAE-morning kickoff, and Australia meeting the runner-up from Group 7 in Dallas later that night.
Round of 32 concludes with Argentina tie and Kansas City fixture
The knockout stage’s final day, July 4, closes with two fixtures that include the defending champions. Argentina, the title holders, are scheduled to face the runner-up of Group 8 at Miami’s stadium with a kickoff set for 2:00 a.m. UAE time. The final Round of 32 match will see the Group 11 winner take on a third-placed qualifier from a pool of groups at Kansas City, which concludes the compact knockout window and sets the stage for the Round of 16 bracket.
The completed list of times and venues, as published in UAE time, provides clarity for broadcasters and viewers planning to follow the World Cup 2026 Round of 32 live, while organisers note that a handful of opponents will be confirmed only after the final group matches conclude.