Canada became the first country to win a last 32 match after they defeated South Africa, now three more countries have the opportunity to join the co-hosts in the last 16 of 2026 World Cup in what promises to be an exciting day’s play.
First up, we have five-time winners Brazil against Japan in Houston at 6pm on Monday (all times UK), followed by Germany against Paraguay in Boston (9.30pm), before the Netherlands take on Morocco in Monterrey (Mexico) in the early hours of Tuesday morning (2am).
Here are the key World Cup 2026 stats ahead of the three games.
Key stats for Monday’s last 32 matches
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Brazil vs Japan
- Brazil key stat: Vinicius Junior can become the first Brazilian so score in the opening four matches of a World Cup since Rivaldo and Ronaldo did so in 2002, en route to winning the tournament.
- Japan key stat: Samurai Blue are bidding to win a knockout stage match for the first time, having failed to do so four times previously.
Brazil and Japan go head-to-head in Houston in what is expected to be one of the tastier last-32 clashes.
Brazil have lost five of their 11 knockout stage matches since they last won the trophy in 2002. But, they are currently unbeaten in 10 matches in all competitions, winning their last two games 3-0.
Only Lionel Messi (six) scored more goals in the group stages than Vinicius Junior, who has netted four of his side’s seven goals so far, as he became the fifth Brazilian player to score in each of the three group stage games after Jairzinho (1970), Romario (1994), and Ronaldo and Rivaldo (both in 2002) – he can now extend that tally to four straight games against Japan.
Matheus Cunha has also been in fine form since he was given the nod over Igor Thiago in Brazil’s second group game, scoring three times in his last two games. Speaking of assists, Bruno Guimaraes has registered the joint most (three) alongside Michael Olise and Alexander Isak at the tournament so far.
Brazil, who won Group C with seven points, have won 11 of the 14 encounters with Japan, losing only once. However, that one defeat did come as recently as October when Japan fought their way back from two goals down to win 3-2.
In fact, Group F runners-up Japan are also enjoying a 10 game unbeaten run, which includes seven wins, while they’ve only suffered two defeats in their last 28.
But, Hajime Moriyasu’s troops have been handed one of the toughest tests in the last 32 as they bid to make history by winning a knockout stage match for the first time, having previously lost on each of their previous four occasions they’ve made it out of the group in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022.
Germany vs Paraguay
- Germany key stat: DFB are bidding to win their first World Cup knockout stage match since they last won the tournament in 2014.
- Paraguay key stat: Paraguay are looking to score their first knockout stage goal at the sixth attempt.
Germany had one of the tournament’s most potent attacks during the group phase, scoring a joint-high 10 goals and registering the joint-most shots on target target (22). This was in part due to their 7-1 defeat of Curacao, followed by a comeback 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast 2-1, before falling to a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador, having already qualified as group winners – this loss brought an end to their 11 game winning run.
DFB haven’t won a knockout stage match at the World Cup since they last lifted the trophy in 2014, having faltered in the group stages in both 2018 and 2022. However, when reaching the knockout stages of the tournament their record is strong, with eight wins from their last nine.
At 38 years and 341 days old, Julian Nagelsmann will become the youngest manager to oversee a World Cup knockout match in 40 years – before he was even born!
Paraguay recovered from a heavy 4-1 opening defeat to the United States by beating Turkey and drawing with Australia to finish third in Group D and book their first knockout-stage appearance since 2010.
Only Ghana and Iraq managed fewer than Paraguay’s five shots on target during the group stage, while they lost the most duels (46) and collected the joint-most seven yellow cards, and also made the most tackles (70).
History offers little encouragement for La Albirroja. They have failed to score in each of their five previous World Cup knockout matches, with their only victory coming on penalties against Japan in 2010 after a goalless draw.
One of those defeats was a 1-0 loss to Germany in the last 16 at the 2002 World Cup, which is the only competitive clash between the countries, who drew 3-3 in a friendly in 2013.
Netherlands vs Morocco
- Netherlands key stat: The Dutch haven’t lost any of their last 22 World Cup matches in 90 minutes.
- Morocco key stat: Ismael Saibari (three goals) could become only the second African player to score 4+ goals at a World Cup after Cameroon’s Roger Milla in 1994.
The Netherlands topped Group F with seven points, scoring the joint-most group stage goals (10) alongside Germany and France.
Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey scored three of this goals from three shots on target and could now become only the sixth Dutchman to score 4+ goals at a single World Cup after Johan Neeskens (four), Johnny Rep (four), Robin Van Persie (four), Wesley Sneijder (five), and Rob Rensenbrink (five).
Cody Gakpo scored twice for the Dutch during the group stages to put him third in the country’s all-time World Cup scorers list with five goals. He now needs one more goal to draw level on six with Wesley Sneijder, Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben, Dennis Bergkamp, and Rob Rensenbrink – and two goals to equal record-holder Johnny Rep.
The Netherlands have been defeated on penalties by Argentina in each of their last two World Cups in 2022 and 2014, with three of their last five knockout stage matches being decided on penalties (winning one). With penalty shoot-outs officially counting as a draw by FIFA, the Dutch are currently enjoying a 15 game unbeaten run at the tournament since they lost 1-0 to Spain in the 2010 final. Even this defeat came in extra-time, meaning they haven’t lost any of their last 22 matches at the tournament in 90 minutes since a 1-0 defeat to Portugal in 2006.
Speaking of unbeaten runs, Morocco are undefeated in their last 32 matches (note that they were controversially awarded a 3-0 win in the AFCON final against Senegal).
The 2022 semi-finalists have impressed en route to a second-place finish behind Brazil in Group C to become only the third African country to progress out of the group stages in back-to-back World Cups after Nigeria and Ghana.
The win over Haiti means that the Atlas Lions have accumulated more World Cup wins (seven) than any African country. Their in-form striker Ismael Saibari scored in each of Morocco’s group stage matches, and now needs only one more goal to become the second African player to score four goals at a single World Cup after Cameroon’s Roger Milla in 1994.
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