After the group stage, the matches for the first round of the World Cup finals were decided.
The World Cup Round of 32 pairings have been decided (Image: World Cup Round of 32 pairings have been decided).
After tonight’s final group match, the World Cup final tournament bracket will be finalized. It is understood that England will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the round of 32 after taking the lead in their group with a 2-0 win over Panama.
Harry Kane went down in history as England’s highest World Cup scorer as Thomas Tuchel’s side defeated a stubborn Panamanian team. From an exciting win over Croatia to a slimy stalemate against Ghana, the European Championship finalists overcame a slow start to successive victories at MetLife Stadium.
England have already secured a place in the last 32 after Friday’s result, with a come-from-behind victory over Uzbekistan in the early hours of Sunday morning to set up a last-32 clash with DR Congo, with a 2-0 victory taking them to the top of Group L.
Join us on Facebook! For the latest news, analysis and more on Mirror Football’s Facebook page
In the final tournament, France will play Sweden and Germany will play Paraguay, so the winners of both games will play in the round of 16. Portugal, who finished second in their group, will face Croatia, with Spain or Austria awaiting the winner in the last 16.
The Three Lions will play the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 1 in Atlanta, with the winner playing either Mexico or Ecuador on July 6 in Mexico City.
All World Cup round of 32 matches:
South Africa vs Canada Germany vs Paraguay Netherlands vs Morocco Brazil vs Japan France vs Sweden Ivory Coast vs Norway Mexico vs Ecuador England vs Democratic Republic of Congo USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina Belgium vs Senegal Portugal vs Croatia Spain vs Austria Switzerland vs Algeria Argentina vs Cape Verde Colombia vs Ghana Australia vs Egypt
Sign up now for the Make Football Great Again newsletter and get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox!
All eyes are now on England’s knockout stages, but manager Thomas Tuchel has no problem with how the Three Lions had to overcome their win against Panama.
“It was a difficult game,” Tuchel said. “Everyone who was watching this game from the sidelines saw the physicality of the game. We saw a team that didn’t give up any chances in the first two games. Against Ghana we conceded a goal in the 95th minute on a counter-attack. Against Croatia we conceded a goal with two half-chances on target.
“We managed to score two goals and create half-chances and create more chances in the match. We knew it was physical and difficult to control on the counter-attack.
“We knew they were going to play in the underdog role. We knew all these things. As a coach, I know what it takes to win these games.”
“If this match feels tough, if this match feels tough, it doesn’t matter. It will help me in the next match and this is where I am right now.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £4.50
sky
Get the deal here
Sky is marking the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 20% discount on its entire range of glass TVs. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 a month when taken with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
