England and Scotland could meet in Mexico City in the 2026 World Cup round of 32 if both win their last-32 ties. England are top of Group L, while Scotland finished third in Group C and still need results to break into the knockout stage.
That route points to 6 July at 01:00 BST, when the two could end up on the same path to the last 16 in Mexico City. The World Cup final is scheduled for 19 July, so the bracket is already mapping out the road from the group stage to the end of the tournament.
Group L and Scotland
England’s position matters because the top two teams from each of the 12 groups go through, and the remaining knockout places are filled by the eight third-placed teams with the best records. Scotland’s 3-0 defeat by Brazil has left their hopes of going through as one of the best third-placed countries hanging by a thread.
Sixteen of the record 48 teams involved in the World Cup will be eliminated at the end of the group stage, so the order of the third-placed table is doing real work here. If two or more countries are level on points, head-to-head results come first, then goal difference, goals scored, Fifa's Team Conduct Score, and finally higher Fifa ranking in June's published update.
Mexico City and the bracket
Mexico became the first nation to qualify for the knockout stage and are assured of top place in Group A irrespective of their final match. El Tri will host a third-placed team from Group C, E, F, H or I in the last 32 on 30 June, which shows how varied the bracket can become once the best third-placed route is in play.
Japan need a point against Sweden on Thursday to secure an automatic place in the last 32. South Korea only need a draw against South Africa on Thursday at 02:00 BST to secure second place and face Canada, another reminder that the final group fixtures are still deciding both the draw and the danger points in the knockout rounds.
For England and Scotland, the immediate issue is simple: win the last-32 tie and the road can bend toward each other in Mexico City. For Scotland in particular, the pressure is sharper because the 3-0 loss to Brazil has left no room for wasted points in the third-placed table.
