The 2026 World Cup Round of 32 kicked off on Sunday, with co-hosts Canada eliminating South Africa thanks to a late goal by Stephen Eustaquio. Additional matches saw Brazil defeat Japan, Paraguay knock out Germany, and Morocco send the Netherlands home.
Several critical matchups remain this week, including France versus Sweden, Mexico against Ecuador, England versus DR Congo, and the USA facing Bosnia-Herzegovina. Other upcoming games feature Spain against Austria, Switzerland playing Algeria, and Australia meeting Egypt.
Several fixtures present prime opportunities for tournament upsets. Senegal could challenge Belgium, while the showdown between Croatia and Portugal marks a final World Cup appearance for aging legends Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Algeria aims to surprise an undefeated Switzerland, and the Ivory Coast is positioned to potentially eliminate Norway. Australia and Egypt will also compete for a spot in the Round of 16.
Orode Richard, head coach of Wakanda FC, expressed optimism regarding African nations in the tournament. He predicted that at least four African teams would advance, specifically highlighting Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Senegal as potential victors in their respective knockout matches. Richard emphasized that these teams have demonstrated strong performances throughout the competition thus far.
