It’s goodbye to the group stage and welcome to the knockout Round of 32 on a busy World Cup Sunday.
Group K draws to a close at half past midnight UK time with Colombia and Portugal fighting over top spot at Miami Stadium.
DR Congo could reach four points with a win over Uzbekistan at Atlanta Stadium to virtually guarantee qualification for the knockout stage as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Group J then concludes its business with 3am kick-offs. Algeria and Austria meet at Kansas City Stadium level on three points apiece. Austria have the advantage of a better goal difference so a draw here or better would clinch second place and automatic qualification.
Group winners Argentina can afford to give a run out to some of their squad players against pointless Jordan who are already eliminated.
With the groups now settled with winners, runners-up and the eight best third-place teams all decided, we move on to the knockout stage.
The first Round of 32 game kicks off at 8pm at Los Angeles Stadium and features last-gasp qualifiers South Africa, the runners-up in Group A, against World Cup co-hosts Canada, who were second in Group B.
Check out our full online betting previews below for each of Sunday’s five games, where we have picked out some tips based on the latest World Cup odds.
*All odds are subject to change
Colombia vs Portugal: Anytime Goalscorer – Cristiano Ronaldo @ 1.95
Colombia are in the driving seat in Group K with maximum points after wins against Uzbekistan (3-1) and DR Congo (1-0). Crystal Palace right-back Daniel Munoz has had a wonderful tournament so far, scoring in both games. Colombia sit two points above Portugal who roared into life in their last game, a 5-0 drubbing of Uzbekistan that featured two goals from that man Cristiano Ronaldo. He took the most shots in that game with seven and also had the most touches in the opposition box (10) while looking hungry for more goals. The Portuguese are enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run and after the shock of a 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their World Cup opener, progressing as group winners is the aim.
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan: Match Result – DR Congo @ 1.72
DR Congo have given themselves a great chance of qualifying for the knockout stage after earning that valuable point against Portugal. A win here would put them on four points which would virtually guarantee progress as one of the eight best third-place teams. Uzbekistan have conceded eight goals in their two defeats, losing 3-1 to Colombia and 5-0 to Portugal. They have lost four and drawn one of their last five matches, scoring just two goals in the process. History beckons for DR Congo.
Algeria vs Austria: Player To Score or Assist – Marcel Sabitzer @ 2.75
The prize for the winner here is second place in the group and automatic qualification for the knockout stage. Both teams are tied on three points with Austria sat in second place due to a better goal difference. Algeria hadn’t conceded a single goal in their last four games ahead of the tournament but were then hit by a Lionel Messi hat-trick in a 3-0 defeat by Argentina. Marseille striker Amine Gouiri had scored four goals in those warm-up games and helped put things right against Jordan, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory. Austria had been on a six-game unbeaten run of their own when they too were downed 2-0 by group winners Argentina. Marcel Sabitzer had scored in each of Austria’s three matches coming into the 2026 World Cup but is yet to kick into gear. He is due to rediscover his scoring boots.
Jordan vs Argentina: Outcome And Both To Score – Argentina And No @ 1.71
The big question here is; what do you do with Lionel Messi? Argentina are already locked in as winners of Group J, so in theory could rest a few stars and give squad players a chance to stretch their legs. But can coach Lionel Scaloni really consider dropping the World Cup’s record goalscorer? Argentina are on a nine-game winning streak in which they have conceded just ONE goal. With uncertainty around Scaloni’s line-up for this game, keeping things simple may be the safer path. An Argentina win perhaps, with something else added to help boost the odds. Jordan have lost five of their last six games, drawing the other, so you would have to be feeling ridiculously brave to back them @ 13.00 for the Match Result. We do not recommend it!
South Africa vs Canada: Anytime Goalscorer – Jonathan David @ 2.75
The knockout stage begins with co-hosts Canada facing surprise qualifiers South Africa at Los Angeles Stadium. Canada started the tournament brightly enough with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia & Herzegovina followed by a 6-0 hammering of Qatar that included a Jonathan David hat-trick. But their 10-game unbeaten run was ended by a 2-1 defeat to formidable group winners Switzerland, an outcome which also denied them the chance to play their R32 game in Canada. South Africa qualified for the knockout rounds for the first time in their history after stunning South Korea with a 1-0 win. It was an amazing turnaround having lost their opener 2-0 to Mexico and then stealing a point from the Czech Republic with an 83rd minute penalty. Can they go again? It feels harsh to write them off, but that historic win over South Korea was their first in seven games. Canada had strong momentum from their 10-game unbeaten run ahead of the Switzerland clash and we expect them to get back on track, with David a key contributor.
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