FIFA World Cup schedule for the week (June 22-28, 2026). Messi’s Argentina, Mbappe’s France focus as final dash for knockout spots begins Football News:

Argentina’s Lionel Messi, second right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal. (AP Photo)

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set for a dramatic week as the expanded 48-team tournament enters its final group stage, with the race for places in the Round of 32 gathering pace from Monday onwards.After 10 days of action across the United States, Canada and Mexico, only three teams have officially qualified for the knockout rounds. Co-hosts USA and Mexico, along with four-time champions Germany, have already booked their spots after their opening two matches.At the other end, Haiti, Turkey and Tunisia became the first teams to be eliminated from contention, leaving 42 countries fighting for the remaining 29 spots in the next round.The second round of group fixtures will conclude on Wednesday, which is expected to provide greater clarity to several groups with heavyweight contenders. Defending champions Argentina, former world champions France, England and Portugal are among the teams that are still trying to secure their places in the knockout stage.From Thursday, attention will shift to the final round of group matches, with FIFA adopting the traditional format of simultaneous kick-offs for teams within the same group. Scheduling is designed to preserve the integrity of the sport and prevent teams from gaining an advantage by knowing the outcome of another game.For example, the two matches in Group A will start at the same time, and the same format will be used in all 12 groups during the closing days of the first round.The stakes are even higher in the expanded format. The top two teams from each group will automatically advance to the Round of 32, while eight of the best third-placed teams will also advance, meaning that countries that miss out on the top two positions still have a lifeline.With 29 knockout spots still up for grabs and some traditional powerhouses yet to confirm qualification, the coming week promises high drama, tense calculations and simultaneous battles in many places.At the end of the week, the picture for the inaugural 32-team knockout stage will finally be complete, with dreams kept alive or shattered in what promises to be an exciting finish to the group stage.