Who does Mexico play in the round of 32? Ecuador matchup nears

The groups stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup went favorably for the United States Men’s National Team and Mexico, as they both earned a group-winners draw and will stay on home soil for the beginning of the knockout round.

For the US, that means a match against a side it has never lost to, Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Mexico will almost certainly draw Ecuador, which could set up a potential round-of-16 showdown with England.

The US has known for some time it will play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. That match will be at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT on July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The game will be televised on FOX and Telemundo.

Should the United States Men’s National Team defeat Bosnia, it would play the winner of Belgium vs. a third-place team that will be determined on Saturday, June 27. The most likely team Belgium would play is South Korea, so the USMNT would be most likely to face the winner of Belgium-South Korea.

Match: United States Men’s National Team Bosnia and Herzegovina

Stadium: Levi’s Stadium (Bay Area Stadium) in Santa Clara, Calif.

Mexico’s round of 32 opponent is not 100% set, but it’s more than 99% likely it will face Ecuador, the third-place team in Group E. The only way their opponent won’t be Ecuador is if Scotland, which has already finished its group stage, moves up two spots in the third-place standings. The odds of that happening are smaller than 1%.

Regardless, Mexico will play its round of 32 game on Tuesday, June 30 at El Azteca in Mexico City with a 7 p.m. MT/8 p.m. CT start time.

Should Mexico win its round of 32 match, it would play the winner of a match between the winner of Group L (England, Ghana or Croatia) and a third-place team from groups I, J or K. England is most likely to win Group L. Senegal is the most likely third-place team to draw that spot.

That round-of-16 match will be at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT on July 5 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Match: Mexico vs. TBA, more than 99% likely Ecuador

Stadium: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium) in Mexico City.

Potential quarterfinal opponents for Mexico would be the winner of Brazil/Japan vs. the winner of Ivory Coast/Norway. That is set. That match is in Miami on July 11.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Who does Mexico play in the round of 32? Ecuador matchup nears