World Cup live updates today: Canada vs South Africa kicks off round of 32
We are officially into the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, with 32 teams moving beyond their groups and into the business end of this tournament.
The round of 32 begins Sunday in Southern California with Canada and South Africa facing off, a disappointing matchup for one of the North American co-hosts who got stuck playing a knockout game on foreign soil.
Meanwhile, the rest of the field prepares or its win-or-go-home matchups, with three games set for each day from June 29 to July 3. The round of 16 begins a day later with the final set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Get our World Cup: Extra Time newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.
Watch every World Cup game with FuboWorld Cup games today
- Canada 1, South Africa 0 (round of 32) at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California
How to watch the 2026 World Cup
Watch all 2026 World Cup games on Fox and FS1. Spanish language broadcasts are available on Telemundo and Peacock.
Watch every World Cup game with Fubo2026 World Cup odds
Mexico's muddy path in World Cup knockout rounds starts with Ecuador
MEXICO CITY — Nine points. No goals conceded. A dominating 3-0 win in their last match that turned into a celebration of their biggest icon. Mexico couldn't have asked for a better group stage performance.
But the path from here on out gets a lot muddier, starting with their round of 32 opponent.
Ecuador, once considered a dark horse in the 2026 World Cup, came all the way back from the brink of elimination to stun Germany in a 2-1 win Thursday and secure their place in the knockouts. It's a tough break for El Tri, who had been projected to face Scotland for much of the past week. — Andrés Soto
South Korea coach resigns after Korean president blasts World Cup exit
Hours after South Korea president Lee Jae Myung expressed frustration with the men's national team failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup round of 32, coach Hong Myung-bo resigned from his position.
Lee posted on social media on Sunday, June 28, that he was "utterly baffled" by South Korea's result, blaming it on "organizational and personnel failures" and criticizing its "incompetent" leader.
"I am not just taken aback by this unexpected outcome, I am utterly baffled," Lee wrote, "Once again, it has been proven that personnel decisions are everything. When 'us versus them' is prioritized over competence, and an incompetent person is selected as a leader, the outcome is as clear as day." — Jordan Mendoza
Messi makes history off the bench
ARLINGTON, TX — In the Argentina national team, everything can revolve around Lionel Messi. It's true on the field, where Argentina players often look to their 39-year-old 'astro' to make something happen. It's true off the field, where it seems every shirt in the stadium has his No. 10 on the back - except for the throwbacks that have his No. 19.
So, some of the luster was taken off Argentina's matchup with Jordan when Albiceleste manager Lionel Scaloni announced Friday that Messi would come off the bench. And, of course, fans chanted for Messi from the 46th minute onward, hoping to see the star come in.
He did, eventually, putting the icing on a 3-1 victory over the World Cup debutants in a half-hour of action – perhaps more than fans were expecting when they heard he'd come off the bench.
– Jon Arnold
World Cup knockout schedule
- Group Stage: June 11-June 27
- Round of 32 : June 28-July 3
- Round of 16 : July 4-7
- Quarterfinals : July 9-11
- Semifinals : July 14-15
- Third-place game : July 18 (Miami Gardens, Florida)
- Final: July 19 (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
2026 World Cup format
Each group played a round-robin style where teams are awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw. The top two teams in each group advanced to the round of 32 along with the eight best third-place squads. Tiebreakers in the group standings were resolved using the following criteria:
- Greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned
- Superior goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned
- Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned
- Superior goal difference in all group matches
- Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches
- Highest team conduct score (players and team officials) relating to the number of yellow and red cards obtained
- The two or more teams still equal on points shall be ranked according to the most recent published edition of the FIFA Men's World Ranking
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
Information in this article was imported automatically into a template written and reviewed by a USA TODAY Sports editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.
Prediction Markets: Certain prediction markets are event contracts regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or other applicable regulatory authorities and are legally distinct from traditional gambling and sports betting. Eligibility requirements to participate in prediction markets differ from those for sports betting and gambling — you may be required to be 18 or older (or such other age as the applicable platform requires) and to satisfy other eligibility criteria established by the relevant platform and governing law. Prediction market trading involves financial risk and may not be available in all jurisdictions. The legal and regulatory status of prediction markets varies by jurisdiction and by platform. It is your sole responsibility to confirm that participation is lawful where you reside and to comply with all applicable laws and platform terms.