Round of 32 action continues today, following a dramatic finish to Canada and South Africa yesterday. With a late goal, Canada defeated South Africa 1-0 and officially became the first team to qualify for the Round of 16.
Brazil vs. Japan
Monday’s action begins at 1:00 pm ET in Houston for a heavyweight battle between Brazil and Japan. Both teams were undefeated in group play, with Brazil finishing top of Group C with 7 points (2 W, 1 D) and Japan finishing second in Group F with 5 points (1 W, 2 D).
The odds and recent history suggest Brazil will be the favorites to win this matchup. The Canarinho have not been eliminated in the first knockout round of a World Cup since 1990, and have won 6 of their 7 all-time meetings against Japan. However, Japan’s only win came in their most recent meeting back in October. After trailing 2-0 at half-time, Japan came back to defeat Brazil 3-2 via an Ayase Ueda winner in the 71st minute.
Brazil have improved along their World Cup journey, and will be expecting another big performance from Vinícius Júnior, who has been the standout player for the South American giants. Japan will not be an easy opponent, and are more than capable of putting together a performance similar to Morocco’s in the opening match.
Germany vs. Paraguay
Next up in the three-game slate on Monday is a matchup between Germany and Paraguay at 4:30 pm ET in Boston. While many may consider this an “easy” draw for the European side, Paraguay has shown grit following their opening match loss to USA. Despite being pelted by an inefficient Turkiye side, Paraguay managed to scrape by and get the three points. A 0-0 draw in their final match vs. Australia will leave their fans wanting more. However, reaching this stage after failing to qualify for the last three World Cups can be considered a success.
Where Germany stands at the moment is still to be shown. After a slow start to their opening match, Germany pelted Curacao 7-1 and followed it up with a 2-1 win vs. Ivory Coast. The first spot in the group was already secured, but head coach Julian Nagelsmann insisted on keeping his strongest 11 on the field for the final match against Ecuador. It was a rough afternoon for the German side as they failed to beat an Ecuadorian team that struggled immensely in their opening matches.
Now, Germany once again face a well-organized, defensively minded South American team who will look to defend and counter.
Netherlands vs. Morocco
The night concludes with what many may consider to be the best matchup of the Round of 32. Netherlands and Morocco will kick off at 9:00 PM ET in Monterrey, with both teams looking to avoid an early exit from the tournament.
Morocco entered this World Cup with unbelievably high expectations. The African side finished 4th in Qatar 2022, and *controversially* won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. After finishing in 2nd place in Group C, they will face a motivated Netherlands team that scored 10 goals in the group stage. The Dutch side also conceded four goals in the opening games and will need to be more organized in order to hold off Morocco.
The key matchup today is between Ismael Saibari and Brian Brobbey. Both strikers have scored three goals in the Group Stage and will likely need to make an impact for their respective teams to advance to the next round.
The winner of this match will face Canada on July 4 in Houston at 1:00 pm ET.
