The Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 wrapped up on Saturday with a nail-biting finish between champions Argentina and Cape Verde as Messi’s side edging past the debutants in the extra time. The stage is now set for the Round of 16, which is set to begin on Saturday night with a clash between Canada and Morocco at Houston Stadium. This will be followed by France’s match against Paraguay a few hours later.

Canada, the co-hosts in this World Cup edition, will be riding high on confidence after rewriting history books by earning their first points in six attempts at the global showpiece. That record is now a distant memory, replaced by a string of breakthroughs starting with an opening draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then a commanding win over Qatar, followed by a tense Round of 32 triumph over South Africa.

Meanwhile, Morocco arrive with their own tale of resilience. The Atlas Lions opened against five-time champions Brazil and held them to a 1-1 draw, then battled through Group C to earn a Round of 32 showdown with the Netherlands. What followed was a grueling 120 minutes in Monterrey, capped by a dramatic penalty shootout. Veteran goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied Crysencio Summerville, and Ismael Saibari delivered the decisive kick.

Paraguay also look to extend its giant-killing run after stunning four-time champions Germany in the Round of 32. A Julio Enciso strike and a heroic penalty shootout display from goalkeeper Orlando Gill carried La Albirroja to their first knockout win since 2010.

The next challenge up for them is against France, a team that has been scoring at will. Les Bleus swept through the group stage with three emphatic victories and then dispatched Sweden 3-0. Kylian Mbappe already has six goals, Ousmane Dembele has added four, and Michael Olise has orchestrated five assists, numbers that underline the firepower awaiting Paraguay in Philadelphia.

The three co-hosts have all advanced to the Round of 16 with the United States beating Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada topping South Africa and Mexico knocking out Ecuador.

A quarter-final berth in Boston is at stake with the winners of Canada versus Morocco and France versus Paraguay set to collide there on July 9. Morocco were ranked seventh in the most recent World Cup rankings, while Canada were ranked 30th. There will be two matches per day in the Round of 16 scheduled from July 4 to 7.

Also read: Arias sends Colombia into Round of 16 with 1-0 win over Ghana