The match night at the 2026 World Cup kicks off at 20:00 Kyiv time with Brazil vs Japan — and it's already knockout football: one mistake and you're going home. The five-time champions face an organised Japanese side that proved during the group stage it can compete with the best. Late at night they will be joined by Germany vs Paraguay and the Netherlands vs Morocco — the 2026 World Cup schedule by Kyiv time for this day covers three full knockout ties.
Today's Schedule
- 20:00 Kyiv time. Brazil vs Japan (Round of 32, NRG Stadium, Houston)
- 23:30 Kyiv time. Germany vs Paraguay (Round of 32, Gillette Stadium, Foxboro)
- 04:00 Kyiv time (30 June). Netherlands vs Morocco (Round of 32, Estadio BBVA, Monterrey)
20:00 — Brazil vs Japan (NRG Stadium, Houston)
The headline match of the day. Brazil came through the group stage with confidence: their victory over Scotland was one of the most impressive performances of the entire group round. Japan finished second in Group F — and already showed against the Netherlands that they can give top sides a real contest. In head-to-head meetings Brazil have won 11 of 14 matches against Japan, losing just once; their only World Cup encounter took place 20 years ago — a 4:1 win for the Seleção. But knockout football is a different equation.
The tactical intrigue: both sides are most comfortable on the counter-attack. If neither wants to take the initiative, the match could turn into a tense, tight affair. Brazil's expected line-up: Alisson — Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas — Casemiro, Guimarães — Rodrygo, Paquetá, Vinícius Júnior — Cunha. Japan are expected to field Suzuki in goal, Itakura and Tomiyasu in defence. A place in the Round of 16 is on the line.
The duel to watch: Vinícius Júnior against Japan's defensive line — his pace and dribbling were Brazil's chief weapon in the group stage. On the Japanese side — Keito Nakamura, whose ability to unlock opposition defences has already attracted the attention of Europe's top clubs.
23:30 — Germany vs Paraguay (Gillette Stadium, Foxboro)
For Germany this match carries symbolic weight: the side have not progressed beyond the group stage since 2014, when they won the title. Paraguay reached the Round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams in the group stage — and that alone proves their competitiveness. Germany's expected line-up involves a return to their standard system after the defeat to Ecuador in the final group game. The winner will face the winner of France vs Sweden in the Round of 16.
04:00 — Netherlands vs Morocco (Estadio BBVA, Monterrey)
The night's late finale — and potentially the most unpredictable match of the day. The Netherlands finished the group stage with a 3:1 win over Tunisia, but Morocco arrived at the knockout rounds in fine form after beating Scotland. This is only the second meeting between the two sides at a World Cup: in 1994 the Netherlands won 2:1. Netherlands' expected line-up: Verbruggen — Dumfries, van Hecke, van Dijk, van de Ven — de Jong, Gravenberch, Reijnders — Malen, Brobbey, Gakpo. Morocco will respond with: Bono — Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui — Bouaddi, El Aynaoui — Brahim, Ounahi, El Hannous — Saïbari. Hakimi against Dumfries on the right flank is a tactical subplot in its own right. The winner will face Canada in the Round of 16. Read more about the evening digest of earlier matches in our archive.
Summaries of all three matches will appear in the evening edition of "Night Mundial" after the final whistle and in the morning digest at 08:00 Kyiv time. Also follow the full 2026 World Cup schedule by Kyiv time on our website.
Photo: Yahoo Sports Staff · Editorial (source)
