Predictions
June 29 Preview: Brazil-Japan, Germany-Paraguay and Netherlands-Morocco Open the Round of 32 Proper
After a single-match opener, the Round of 32 hits full stride on June 29 with three ties: Brazil vs Japan in Houston, Germany vs Paraguay in Boston and Netherlands vs Morocco in Monterrey. Confirmed times, venues and the head-to-head history behind each.
The 2026 World Cup knockouts move into full gear on Monday, June 29. After Sunday’s standalone opener between Canada and South Africa, the Round of 32 serves up its first triple-header — three single-elimination ties spread from Houston to Monterrey, with three group winners (Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands) each meeting a side that came through the other way. Below is the schedule in US Eastern Time, with confirmed facts only — no predicted scores.
The June 29 schedule (ET)
| Time | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM | Brazil vs Japan | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| 4:30 PM | Germany vs Paraguay | Gillette Stadium, Boston (Foxborough) |
| 9:00 PM | Netherlands vs Morocco | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
Brazil vs Japan — Houston, 1:00 PM ET
The day opens with the heavyweight name. Brazil arrive as winners of Group C, having topped the section ahead of Morocco, and now meet a Japan side that qualified second in Group F after sealing the spot with a 1-1 draw against Sweden.
The history is lopsided but not without a warning sign. The two nations have met only once at a World Cup — the 2006 group stage, when Japan led through Keiji Tamada before Brazil pulled away to win 4-1. Across all competitions Brazil have dominated the fixture, but the most recent meeting flipped the script: Japan beat Brazil 3-2 in an October 2025 friendly, the first win in their history over the Seleção. That result is the thread Japan will cling to — proof that, on the right night, the gap can close.
For Brazil, this is the start of a campaign that is supposed to end deep in July; for Japan, it is another swing at a barrier they have never cleared — a place in a World Cup quarter-final.
Germany vs Paraguay — Boston, 4:30 PM ET
Germany won Group E and carry the pedigree of a four-time world champion into a tie with familiar undertones. Paraguay reached the last 32 the hard way: third in Group D behind the United States and Australia, they squeezed through as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
The two have a slice of World Cup history between them — and it belongs to Germany. At the 2002 World Cup, they met in the Round of 16, where Oliver Neuville’s 88th-minute goal settled a 1-0 win on the way to Germany’s run to the final. Beyond that single knockout, the broader head-to-head is tighter than the reputations suggest: their meetings since have been evenly split, including a 3-3 friendly in 2013. Paraguay will fancy themselves as the kind of stubborn, well-organised opponent that has frustrated Germany before.
Netherlands vs Morocco — Monterrey, 9:00 PM ET
The night game in Mexico is the most intriguing of the three. The Netherlands won their group after a closing 3-1 win over Tunisia; Morocco, the 2022 semi-finalists who lit up that tournament in Qatar, came through as Group C runners-up behind Brazil.
It is, remarkably, only their second World Cup meeting ever. The first came in the 1994 group stage, when the Dutch won 2-1 through Dennis Bergkamp and Bryan Roy. They have crossed paths only twice more — friendlies in 1999 (Morocco 2-1) and 2017 (Netherlands 2-1) — every game decided by a single goal. For an Atlas Lions side carrying the weight of 2022 expectation, and a Dutch team that wants to prove its group-stage form was real, Monterrey is the pick of the June 29 ties.
What to watch for
- Can Japan back up October? Their 3-2 win over Brazil last autumn was a landmark; doing it again with a quarter-final on the line would be the story of the round.
- Germany’s knockout temperament. Four-time champions, but recent tournaments have tested them early. Paraguay are exactly the sort of side that can drag a favourite into the mud.
- Morocco’s encore. The 2022 run to the semi-finals raised the bar permanently; a meeting with the Netherlands is their first big test of whether they can do it again on North American soil.
For the full knockout picture, see our Round of 32 bracket and the June 28 opener preview.
Schedule, venues and head-to-head records above are confirmed facts, cross-checked against official FIFA data and major outlets (FIFA.com, ESPN, Sports Mole, Wikipedia). This preview contains no predicted or estimated scores.