Japan performed like they’ll beat anybody (they usually did, topping each Spain and Germany). Brazil continues to be the favourite to win all of it, whilst they wait to see if their star striker Neymar can return from damage. And the U.S., led by group captain Tyler Adams, has appeared higher than anticipated.

Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images; Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images; Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

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Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images; Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images; Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

Japan performed like they’ll beat anybody (they usually did, topping each Spain and Germany). Brazil continues to be the favourite to win all of it, whilst they wait to see if their star striker Neymar can return from damage. And the U.S., led by group captain Tyler Adams, has appeared higher than anticipated.

Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images; Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images; Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

This yr’s World Cup has already been a soccer spectacle: Steamrolls, upsets, dramatic objectives, penalty kicks, pelvic contusions, tears of joy, tears of devastation, mere millimeters of shoulder and soccer ball making all of the distinction between elimination and ecstasy.

And that was simply the group stage.

Now, the knockout stage begins. An exhilarating mixture of Goliaths and Davids alike are set in a bracket of 16. Each will play till just one stays undefeated, topped the champion for 4 years of glory and bragging rights.

And a real World Cup it’s this yr: For the primary time ever, groups from all six populated continents are represented within the knockout stage, together with two groups from Africa and two groups from Asia. No group from exterior Europe or South America has ever performed in a World Cup closing. This yr, six groups hope to interrupt that streak.

When are the video games? Who do you have to root for? Who’s obtained the perfect shot at successful all of it? Here’s your dialog information to the spherical of 16, together with a game-by-game preview, as we head into the weekend:

I like winners. Who ought to I root for?

There’s no positive factor within the World Cup, however Brazil seems to be the highest canine – not shocking for the winningest group in World Cup historical past. Although it is struggled within the knockout stage since successful their final trophy in 2002, this yr Brazil has drawn a comparatively simple path to the finals.

Other secure picks embrace France, Argentina and Spain, all of whom appeared dominant at occasions in group stage play. Argentina is led, in fact, by Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players of all time. France, the 2018 winner, has the electrical Kylian Mbappé, who at 23 already has too many noteworthy statistics and information to record all of them – simply know he is in historic firm with the likes of Pelé and Ronaldo. And Spain is hoping to rekindle the magic of its 2010 World Cup win with a collection of recent younger phenoms, together with the 20-year-old midfielder Pedri, who was topped the perfect younger participant in Europe final yr.

Who’s the plucky underdog I can bandwagon?

The stylish choose is Japan, who notched two electrical group stage wins towards heavyweights Spain and Germany with tenacious play that made essentially the most of restricted alternatives. The Samurai Blue has by no means earlier than received a recreation within the knockout spherical; Monday’s match towards Croatia may very well be its first.

Another choice is Morocco, who often is the greatest shock of the match in serving to take out Belgium with a 2-0 win. It’s solely the second time Morocco has superior to the knockout spherical, and it too is searching for their first-ever win on this spherical – although it has a troublesome draw with Spain.

Most notable exits from the group stage

Belgium is formally on the finish of an period: Its so-called “Golden Generation” of gamers had led the group to a third-place end simply 4 years in the past, and this yr it was thought of a favourite to win all of it. Instead, it is out already after a shock 2-0 loss to Morocco and a disappointing 0-0 draw towards Croatia on Thursday.

Germany, too, felt the sting of elimination after it failed to beat their beautiful 2-1 loss to Japan. The 2014 winners have now didn’t advance the 2 World Cups since. Uruguay had an identical exit after drawing with South Korea to open the match, failing to advance even after besting Ghana 2-0 in its closing recreation.

A have a look at every recreation within the Round of 16

Netherlands v. USA (Saturday, Dec. 3, 10:00 a.m. ET): The Netherlands’ squad cruised to development in a comparatively simple group. Dutch ahead Cody Gakpo is the standout for his group with a aim in every of the three group video games, making him one of many high scorers within the World Cup thus far. The U.S. has the products on protection – it did not permit a single aim within the run of play in the course of the group stage – so, as an alternative, its problem might be scoring. The Americans have managed simply two objectives thus far, and Christian Pulisic was concerned in each. Pulisic has been cleared to play Saturday after his damage versus Iran, however whether or not he is actually at 100% may very well be the figuring out issue for the U.S.

Argentina v. Australia (Saturday, Dec. 3, 2:00 p.m. ET): The expectations for Argentina have been sky-high because it got here into what’s prone to be Messi’s closing World Cup. The group stumbled early with a historic upset loss to Saudi Arabia – maybe the biggest upset in the tournament’s history – however has since righted the ship with 2-0 victories over each Mexico and Poland. Messi hopes to guide Argentina again to the ultimate for the primary time since 2014, once they misplaced to Germany 1-0. Anything less will be a disappointment. While Australia might have the perfect nickname on the World Cup, the Socceroos don’t have the perfect possibilities of a deep run – their development was a shock that hinged on a 1-0 upset of Denmark, and they’ll want an excellent greater upset to advance previous Argentina.

France v. Poland (Sunday, Dec. 4, 10:00 a.m. ET): Through its first two matches, defending World Cup champion France appeared just like the group to beat this yr too, with its systematic offense smothering opponents. Mbappé has three objectives already on this match. France is the favourite, by rather a lot. This is not to say Poland does not have a shot: The white and purple have their very own star in Robert Lewandowski, the 34-year-old striker who’s among the many finest gamers on this planet. And Lewandowski is hungry for World Cup glory: Though he has scored greater than 500 objectives over his profession, he solely simply scored his first-ever World Cup aim final week.

England v. Senegal (Sunday, Dec. 4, 2:00 p.m. ET): The expectations are perennially excessive for England, who all the time fields top-tier groups but has not completed higher than 4th place since successful the 1966 World Cup. Ouch. Its 6-2 romp over Iran confirmed what this squad is able to – raining in objectives, particularly from set items like nook kicks. But so too did the nil-nil draw with the U.S., the place the Three Lions offense struggled to construct possibilities out of the midfield. Senegal is the top-ranked African group left within the match. It’s taking part in with out its star, the world-class striker Sadio Mané, who was injured simply earlier than the World Cup. But even with out Mané, Senegal is not any simple out, with a high-level power and tempo of play that might pose a problem for England.

Japan v. Croatia (Monday, Dec. 5, 10:00 a.m. ET): Japan has leapt into fan-favorite territory after its unlikely emergence as winner of Group E, besting each Germany and Spain. The group received each video games regardless of its opponents dominating the time of possession (74% for Germany, 82% for Spain) – it is harmful regardless of restricted possibilities. Japan will head into Monday’s match feeling prefer it’s able to beating any group left within the World Cup, and it is true. It’s an unlucky momentum draw for Croatia, who’s the higher group on paper. Croatia returns a lot of a core group that made all of it the way in which to the finals within the 2018 World Cup, nevertheless it’s typically struggled in worldwide play since, together with two nil-nil attracts in group play this yr. This one’s a tossup.

Brazil v. South Korea (Monday, Dec. 5, 2:00 p.m. ET): Brazil entered the World Cup ranked #1 and cruised to the highest spot in its group. But its star Neymar was injured in Brazil’s opening match with Serbia – his return for the knockout spherical continues to be an open query. With or with out Neymar, Brazil might be a heavy favourite over their opponent South Korea, which snuck into the Round of 16 with a shocking (and pleasant) upset Friday over Portugal. South Korea’s Premier League ahead Hwang Hee-chan got here into the essential recreation instead after lacking the primary two matches with a hamstring damage; his sneaky stoppage time aim despatched his group by means of.

Morocco v. Spain (Tuesday, Dec. 6, 10:00 a.m. ET): Morocco’s upstart run might meet its buzzsaw right here in Spain, who backslid into this spot within the Round of 16 after an upset loss to Japan. Spain has solely received the World Cup as soon as, in 2010, however this yr’s squad is a pleasant mixture of skilled veterans and younger playmakers getting their first style at World Cup play. Spain might be favored – but when Morocco can finest Belgium 2-0 (and it will have been 3-0 if not for a disallowed aim), it will probably beat anybody.

Portugal v. Switzerland (Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2:00 p.m. ET): Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, maybe essentially the most well-known soccer participant on this planet, has completed the whole lot there may be to do in soccer – besides win a World Cup. At 37 years outdated, that is possible his final shot to carry the trophy dwelling to Portugal, and the group round him is stacked. Yet Portugal has underachieved recently, and Switzerland has come on sturdy. The Swiss went toe-to-toe with Europe’s finest groups in worldwide play in 2021. In June, these two squads confronted off twice and break up the wins. But Ronaldo might have been the distinction maker: He sat out the primary recreation, which the Swiss received 1-0, then returned for the rematch and scored twice en path to a 4-0 Portugal romp.