England and Scotland have both opened their World Cup 2026 campaigns with victories, and attention is already turning to who they could face in the Round of 32.

Thomas Tuchel's England side dismantled Croatia 4-2 in their opener, while Steve Clarke's Scotland produced an historic 1-0 win over Haiti in Boston to send the Tartan Army into a frenzy.

Scotland's potential opponents

As Group C leaders, Scotland's likely Round of 32 opponents would come from the runners-up of Group F. Japan currently sit in that position after drawing 2-2 with the Netherlands in their opening fixture.

However, should Scotland finish second in Group C rather than first, the order would reverse — they would instead meet the winners of the group currently occupied by Sweden.

England's more complicated route

England's potential path is slightly more complex. As expected frontrunners to top Group L, the Three Lions would, if they finish first, be drawn against the highest-ranked third-place qualifier from a mini-league spanning Groups E, H, I, J, and K.

After the opening round of group fixtures, Portugal occupy that third-place slot — a scenario that would set up a mouth-watering rematch with Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao, echoing their famous 2006 World Cup quarter-final clash.

That contest in Gelsenkirchen remains etched in football memory — Wayne Rooney was sent off for a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho, and Ronaldo's infamous wink at the officials afterwards drew worldwide headlines before Portugal eliminated England on penalties.

With the group stage still in motion, plenty could yet change before the knockout picture fully crystallises. For now, though, both home nations will enter the Round of 32 with genuine belief they can go deep in the tournament.