Round of 32 predictions: Experts pick who will advance in World Cup bracket
Round of 32 predictions: Experts pick who will advance in World Cup bracket
Jesse Yomtov, Jon Arnold, Seth Vertelney and Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAYSun, June 28, 2026 at 2:27 PM UTC
0
The World Cup's inaugural round of 32 begins Sunday, June 28 with the first of 16 games that run through July 3 and the winners advancing to the last 16.
With 48 teams, this is the biggest World Cup ever and the knockout round was expanded to 32 from 16, allowing the top two group finishers – and now the eight best third-place teams – to advance into the win-or-go-home stage.
The matchups include a few games we might have expected to see later in the tournament including Netherlands-Morocco and Portugal-Croatia. All three co-hosts moved on to the knockout round with the United States facing Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico taking on Ecuador and Canada playing South Africa in the round of 32.
Here's a look at the USA TODAY Sports soccer writers and editors' predictions for the first round of knockout games:
South Africa vs. Canada
Jon Arnold: Canada
Seth Vertelney: Canada
Jesse Yomtov: Canada
Victoria Hernandez: Canada
Brazil vs Japan
Jon Arnold: Brazil
Seth Vertelney: Brazil
Jesse Yomtov: Brazil
Victoria Hernandez: Brazil
Germany vs Paraguay
Jon Arnold: Germany
Seth Vertelney: Germany
Jesse Yomtov: Germany
Victoria Hernandez: Germany
Netherlands vs Morocco
Jon Arnold: Netherlands
Seth Vertelney: Netherlands
Jesse Yomtov: Netherlands
Victoria Hernandez: Netherlands
Ivory Coast vs Norway
Jon Arnold: Ivory Coast
Seth Vertelney: Noway
Jesse Yomtov: Norway
Victoria Hernandez: Ivory Coast
Mexico vs Ecuador
Jon Arnold: Mexico
Seth Vertelney: Mexico
Jesse Yomtov: Mexico
Victoria Hernandez: Mexico
Belgium vs Senegal
Advertisement
Jon Arnold: Belgium
Seth Vertelney: Senegal
Jesse Yomtov: Belgium
Victoria Hernandez: Belgium
USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jon Arnold: United States
Seth Vertelney: United States
Jesse Yomtov: United States
Victoria Hernandez: United States
Spain vs Austria
Jon Arnold: Spain
Seth Vertelney: Spain
Jesse Yomtov: Spain
Victoria Hernandez: Spain
Portugal vs Croatia
Jon Arnold: Portugal
Seth Vertelney: Portugal
Jesse Yomtov: Croatia
Victoria Hernandez: Croatia
Portugal vs. Croatia 2026 World Cup tickets
See Croatia take on Portugal in the round of 32 in Toronto.
Shop tickets now
Switzerland vs Algeria
Jon Arnold: Switzerland
Seth Vertelney: Algeria
Jesse Yomtov: Switzerland
Victoria Hernandez: Switzerland
Australia vs Egypt
Jon Arnold: Australia
Seth Vertelney: Egypt
Jesse Yomtov: Australia
Victoria Hernandez: Egypt
Argentina vs Cape Verde
Jon Arnold: Argentina
Seth Vertelney: Argentina
Jesse Yomtov: Argentina
Victoria Hernandez: Argentina
Colombia vs Ghana
Jon Arnold: Colombia
Seth Vertelney: Colombia
Jesse Yomtov: Ghana
Victoria Hernandez: Ghana
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup round of 32 predictions: Bracket picks for knockout games
Source: “AOL Sports”
