Who England and Scotland face in World Cup round of 32 as things stand | Football | Sport
England and Scotland’s potential opponents in the first knockout round of the World Cup have come into much sharper focus following Steve Clarke’s side’s 3-0 defeat to Brazil on Thursday morning. As things stand, the Three Lions would face Algeria on July 1 at 5pm, while the Tartan Army would take on co-hosts Mexico on the same day at 2am.
Thomas Tuchel’s men were forced to settle for a share of the spoils in a goalless draw with Ghana in Boston on Tuesday night, a result that leaves them sitting at the summit of the Group L standings. Scotland’s hopes of progressing suffered a significant setback following their 3-0 defeat to Brazil in their Group C clash in Miami on Wednesday night. Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. netted twice in Florida, with Manchester United star Matheus Cunha also getting on the scoresheet.
The loss leaves Scotland third in their group and currently ranked as the sixth-best third-placed side across the World Cup groups so far, though that picture is likely to shift with several final group games still to be played.
As matters stand, England are set to face Algeria in the round of 32 at the World Cup, with the tie scheduled for Wednesday, July 1 in Atlanta, kicking off at 5pm UK time.
There remains scope for that to change, with England facing Panama in their final Group L fixture on Saturday, while Algeria take on Austria in the early hours of Sunday morning. Scotland, meanwhile, could still secure a place in the knockout stages and would face co-host Mexico in Mexico City.
This fixture would take place on Wednesday, July 1 with kick-off at 2am UK time.
The precise third-place side England ultimately faces is determined by a complex FIFA combination matrix. This matrix allocates matchups based on which eight third-placed teams (out of all 12 groups) accumulate sufficient points to progress.
Should Scotland ultimately advance as a third-placed team from Group C into the knockout rounds, it would shift the sequence of the table and potentially alter England’s prospective opponents.
Even though England will not face the team from Group C, the inclusion or elimination of Group C’s third-place side changes the mathematics of the matrix, potentially influencing which team from Group E, H, I, J, or K is assigned to England.
