The wait is over. After a frenetic week of group-stage action in the first-ever 32-team World Cup, the round of 16 field is locked and loaded. And it is a beauty.
The knockout bracket is bursting with fireworks. Spain and Portugal collide in a high-stakes Iberian Derby. Mexico gets the dream scenario, hosting England at the iconic Estadio Azteca in what promises to be a historic showdown. The United States, fresh off ending a 24-year drought without a knockout win, steps onto the turf in Seattle for a rematch with Belgium, a ghost from the 2014 round of 16 in Brazil. Lionel Messi and Argentina, still breathing after surviving a monumental upset scare, head to Atlanta to face Egypt.
The action ignites on July 4, America’s 250th birthday. Canada kicks things off against Morocco in Houston, followed by France taking on Paraguay in Philadelphia. The winners from these eight battles will clash in the quarterfinals, starting Thursday, July 9.
