Cape Verde’s stunning debut headlines the team list for the World Cup knockouts, which begin on Sunday in Los Angeles.

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The 48-team FIFA World Cup is nearing the end of the group stage matches and moving towards the knockout stages, beginning on Sunday.

Only 32 teams will advance to the next round of football’s most prestigious tournament. The 2026 iteration in North America is the first time 48 teams have featured, and some debutants have already left their mark.

Here’s what you need to know about the round of 32:

The top two teams in each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-place finishers, advance to the knockouts.

The knockout phase begins with the round of 32, introduced at the World Cup following the tournament’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams.

Then comes the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and a playoff for third place. The final is on July 19.

The stage-wise breakdown of the tournament’s knockout schedule is:

Round of 32: June 28 to July 3

Round of 16: July 4–7

Quarterfinals: July 9–11

Semifinals: July 14–15

Bronze medal match: July 18

Final: July 19

So far, 28 teams have punched their ticket to the knockouts. They include:

⚽️ Colombia

⚽️ Argentina

⚽️ France

⚽️ Norway

⚽️ Germany

⚽️ USA

⚽️ Mexico

⚽️ Switzerland

⚽️ Canada

⚽️ Brazil

⚽️ Morocco

⚽️ South Africa

⚽️ Ivory Coast

⚽️ Bosnia and Herzegovina

⚽️ Ecuador

⚽️ Netherlands

⚽️ Japan

⚽️ Sweden

⚽️ Australia

⚽️ Spain

⚽️ Cape Verde

⚽️ Paraguay

⚽️ Egypt

⚽️ England

⚽️ Ghana

⚽️ Portugal

⚽️Belgium

⚽️ Senegal

Sunday, June 28

Monday, June 29

Tuesday, June 30

Wednesday, July 1

Thursday, July 2

Friday, July 3