Excitement and anticipation to know the matchups of the Round of 32.

Excitement and anticipation until the last moment. This is the title of the final round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup held in North America, as the Round of 32 match schedule will remain undecided until the end of the group stage on Saturday, with 495 different possibilities due to the expansion of the finals from 32 to 48 teams.

Since winning the world title has required playing seven matches since 1998, with three in the group stage followed by the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then the final, the knockout stages now include an additional round.

When 32 countries participated in the tournament, things were as simple as multiplication: the first and second from each of the eight groups, which consist of four teams, qualify for the Round of 16; but things become more complicated in this edition, as the number of participating teams, 48, must be reduced to 32 in the first knockout round. In addition to the first and second place teams from each of the 12 groups, the best eight teams that finished in third place will also qualify.

Naturally, the identity of these eight teams will remain uncertain until the last moment, with the results of the last two matches of the group stage between Jordan and Argentina in Dallas, and Algeria and Austria in Kansas City.

These two matches are scheduled to kick off at 21:00 local time (Sunday at 02:00 GMT).

Argentina, the defending champion, has secured the top spot in Group 10; while Austria and Algeria are competing for the next two positions. One of them will qualify directly as the second; while the other may qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, depending on its points compared to other third-placed teams in the remaining groups.

As for the rest, nothing is left to chance; rather, it is subject to a complex calculation that takes into account three constraints: