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A five-race bracket tournament begins with 16 first-round matchups at the final road course event of the Cup Series season. The winner receives a $1 million prize.
Nbc SportsThe highest finisher in each pairing advances through the five-race bracket, and the overall winner receives $1 million. Two drivers who met in last year’s first round sat for a joint interview Saturday at the track. Both appeared in black attire and answered questions without trading barbs, leaving any competitive comments to their daughters who have become friends at the track.
First-round matchups and format The bracket begins at Sonoma, the last road course on the Cup schedule. Additional rounds are scheduled at Chicagoland Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. One driver ranked 31st this season enters the event after reaching the final last year as the 32nd seed.
That driver has recorded a best finish of 12th in 2025 but has not won a Cup race or reached the playoffs in more than a decade of starts.
Additional first-round pairings Other first-round pairings include two former teammates from the same organization and a matchup between drivers who previously shared a team. A driver seeking a new ride after this season is also paired in the opening round.
A driver making a 500th Cup start at the track nearest his hometown is entered in the event. That driver has not recorded a top-five finish in 15 prior Sonoma starts. The defending race winner enters as the betting favorite for Sunday’s event.
These outlets didn't split into competing frames — coverage was uniform.
Usa TodayScotland finished outside the eight third-placed teams that advance to the round of 32. Iran missed the same cutoff by one point after three draws. South Korea also exited the group stage.
France 24Five refereeing decisions involving video assistant technology drew attention during matches between June 23 and 27. Iran, Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador each saw potential scoring plays overturned or upheld under review.
Al JazeeraCanada meets South Africa in a Round of 32 match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday at 3:00 PM ET. The game is part of the expanded 48-team tournament and will be shown on Fox and streaming services.