Preview

Jul

2026

Preview: Neighbours Portugal and Spain meet to decide quarter-finals place

Portugal and Spain head to Dallas in the World Cup round of 16 for the Iberian Derby, looking to book a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

By Matt Smith

These two sides have gone head-to-head countless times over the years, with their first meeting dating back to 1921. They’ve locked horns 41 times overall, with 12 of those coming in competitive matches, and Portugal have only beaten Spain six times overall.

The last time these two sides met was back in June 2025 in the UEFA Nations League final, with Portugal securing the trophy on penalties.

Team news

There’s unlikely to be too many changes from Roberto Martínez in this game, especially after they defeated Croatia in the previous round. Portugal have a fully fit squad heading into this one, so an unchanged side certainly wouldn’t be a surprise.

Meanwhile, there are some slight concerns for Spain with Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Aymeric Laporte all unable to train fully on Friday. All four should be fit enough for the game, but Spain are likely to be without Nico Williams and Yéremy Pino.

Portugal scraping through

Barring a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in the second game of the group stage, Portugal have been far from convincing in this World Cup. Portugal were held 1-1 by DR Congo in their opening match, before also drawing against Colombia in their third game of the group.

In their first knockout round, Portugal went behind against Croatia in the second half before Cristiano Ronaldo equalised from the penalty spot. It then took a 94th-minute winner for Portugal to scrape through as Gonçalo Ramos completed a dramatic comeback.

There is no doubt Portugal are going to need to step it up against tougher opposition this time around.

Spain looking unbreakable so far

Spain did struggle in their opening game, failing to beat Cape Verde in a 0-0 draw, but since then they’ve looked unbreakable. Especially defensively, Spain are yet to concede a goal at the World Cup, with only Mexico the other side to manage that up until their exit last night.

It’s deservedly so that Spain have kept their sheets clean too. They have conceded just 0.9 expected goals in the tournament so far, less than half of Argentina in second. Spain have also looked incredibly impressive going forward too, so Portugal are going to have their work cut out in this one.

Spain’s underrated striker

Lamine Yamal takes a lot of the attention when it comes to Spain, and rightly so, but he’s certainly not been Spain’s shining star in this tournament so far. The young winger was dealing with an injury at the start of the tournament, so it’s understandable that he has not lit up the World Cup just yet. It’s one of his teammates who deserves a lot of the plaudits.

Mikel Oyarzabal has provided five goal contributions in the tournament so far, scoring twice in Spain’s 3-0 victory in the first knockout round. He’s the player Portugal will have to keep an eye on in this game.

Prediction

Given the performances of these two sides, up to this point, we’re going for a narrow 2-1 victory to Spain.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2026

Preview: USMNT look to keep the dream alive against Belgium

Can the US men’s national team make their first World Cup quarter-final since 2002 by overcoming Belgium in Seattle?

By Graham Ruthven

American dream

This is the match Mauricio Pochettino and his USA players have been planning for ever since the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur boss took over two years ago.

In fact, it could be argued this is the match American soccer has been waiting for since 2002, the last time the US men’s national team reached the quarter-finals of a World Cup. Ever since then, the round of 16 has been the USA’s glass ceiling.

Against Belgium in Seattle, the World Cup co-hosts can burst through that ceiling. The USA have won three of their four games so far with their only loss coming in a dead rubber group game against Türkiye for which Pochettino rested most of his best players.

Belgium, on the other hand, have struggled to find top form at this World Cup, only making it this far thanks to a late comeback against Senegal in the previous round. This isn’t the Belgian golden generation the USA lost to in 2014.

Key players

In the expected absence of Folarin Balogun through suspension, the onus would have been on Christian Pulisic to step up for the USA . The AC Milan winger has started just two games at this World Cup due to injury, but is fit again and will be a threat for the co-hosts in the final third.

As it is, Balogun’s extraordinary White House-influenced reprieve, means that the USMNT’s top scorer at this tournament will be available to play – for full details on that story, click here.

Nobody has created more chances for the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup than Weston McKennie who has combined well with the impressive Malik Tillman through the centre of the pitch.

Defensive-minded figures Tyler Adams, Tim Ream and Chris Richards have cruised through to the tournament to this point. However, Belgium will test them in a way that Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were unable to.

Kevin De Bruyne might not be the player he was a few seasons ago, but the former Manchester City playmaker remains Belgium’s primary difference-maker through the midfield and into the attack.

Leandro Trossard has registered three goals and assists in four appearances and will be a threat inside the penalty area while Youri Tielemans could dictate play for the Red Devils in the centre of the pitch.

Even if the USA’s game plan works and they’re able to create opportunities, they will have to find a way through Thibaut Courtois, still arguably the best goalkeeper in the world right now.

Team news

The availability of Balogun is undoubtedly a huge boast to the the USA’s hopes in the Round of 16. In the wider squad, Mark McKenzie and Cristian Roldan are injury doubts although neither would be expected to start even if they were fully fit.

Rudi Garcia has a big call to make on the identity of his starting centre forward with Charles De Ketelaere and Romelu Lukaku both options. Zeno Debast is Belgium’s only injury concern for the match in Seattle.

*Belgium’s best rated players at the tournament*

Prediction

As much as Pochettino will have been pleased about yesterday’s events surrounding Balogun’s lifted suspension, you can bet that it had lit a fire in the Belgian camp, with Garcia questioning whether July 5 was actually April Fool’s Day at FIFA HQ.

And while injustice may be a great motivator, it can also prove a distraction. We think the World Cup co-hosts may just keep their run going: USA 2-1 Belgium.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2026

Preview: The Azteca plays host to Mexico and England’s Round of 16 clash

England will be taking on both altitude and an extremely hostile crowd as they take on co-hosts Mexico in the early hours of Monday morning (UK time).

By Ian King

Both England and Mexico laid ghosts to rest in their Round of 32 matches

Well, they got over the line, but only just. Two late Harry Kane goals gave England a 2-1 win against DR Congo in their Round of 32 match on Wednesday, the first time they’d come from behind to win a World Cup finals match since the 1966 final.

Their reward for this win is an extremely tricky trip to the Azteca to play co-hosts Mexico in the last 16. Mexico’s 2-0 win against Ecuador in the last round laid a ghost to rest for them too, as their first knockout win in the World Cup since they last hosted the tournament forty years ago.

England’s historical record against Mexico is decent… but only at Wembley

England and Mexico have played each other nine times before, and England’s six previous wins in this fixture look impressive until you realise that all six of them came at Wembley. The other three meetings resulted in a draw and two defeats, and all three of those came in Mexico City. Their last meeting there came in 1985, in the pre-1986 City Tournament, with Mexico winning 1-0.

The silver lining for England fans comes elsewhere. With seven of those nine matches having been friendlies, these two have only met each other in the finals of a major tournament once before, but that came at Wembley in 1966, and not only did England win that match 2-0, but they went on to win the tournament overall. England also won their last meeting, 3-1 at Wembley in 2010.

Both teams have iconic strikers starting this fixture up front for them

He’s a predictable choice, but he’s also the obvious one. Harry Kane isn’t only England’s greatest-ever striker, but he’s currently one of the two or three best in the world at the moment. He’s shattered Wayne Rooney’s previous record of 53 international goals, with his brace against DR Congo taking his overall tally to 84 goals, and he’s in joint second place in the top scorers chart for this summer’s tournament alongside Erling Haaland, with only Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé above them (at the time of writing!).

Mexico also have a talismanic presence in attack. Going into this tournament, Raúl Jiménez had never scored in a World Cup finals for his country despite having made over 120 appearances for them. He provided the emotional focal point of their opening win against South Africa by scoring their second goal, and has since followed that up by bagging their second goal in their Round of 32 win against Ecuador.

Jiménez vs. Haaland stats comparison at the World Cup

Right-back has rapidly become a poisoned chalice of a position for England at this World Cup

Thomas Tuchel had fresh injury headaches to deal with as a result of the DR Congo match. Declan Rice iced his hamstring post-match, with Reece James and Jarell Quansah racing to be fit for their next one.

Given that Djed Spence didn’t tear up any trees in that match – though his performance wasn’t quite as bad as some of the hysterical screaming on social media may have made it sound – the question of who will start in what is starting to look like the poisoned chalice of the right-back position remains open to question.

There may also be other changes. Neither Noni Madueke nor Marcus Rashford were considered to have been particularly impressive against DR Congo (though Rashford’s figures belied this, somewhat), with Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka both waiting in the wings, though there remain concerns over Saka’s fitness.

Mexico have no injuries or suspensions to report ahead of this match. They have played a 4-3-3 with a narrow front three supported by the full-backs in all three of their matches so far, though head coach Javier Aguirre has been known in the past to switch them to a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-1-3-2 when he’s felt a need to add greater defensive solidity.

England aren’t just playing a football team at the Azteca this weekend

Were this the case, they’d probably be set fair for a comfortable win. On paper, they have better players than their opponents.

But of course, football isn’t played on paper, and in this case the conditions that Thomas Tuchel’s team will be facing will be among the most hostile that the World Cup has to offer. They’ll also be battling the conditions, while the febrile atmosphere inside the stadium may leave the players feeling that they’re not just taking on a football team, but an entire country.

Mexico City is at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, and that requires acclimatisation, but the logistics of this tournament have made this more or less impossible, and the noises from the England players have indicated that not a great deal has been done.

Whether this turns out to be the theme of post-tournament post-mortems remains to be seen, though it should be added that Ecuador, who Mexico vanquished in the round of 32, are as used to playing an altitude as Mexico are and it didn’t do them any good at the Azteca.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2026

Preview: Sunday night Round of 16 clash between Brazil and Norway

Brazil and Norway go head-to-head in the World Cup Round of 16 in New York / New Jersey as they look to set up a quarter-final tie against Mexico or England.

By Matt Smith

Brazil scraped through against Japan in the previous round, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a 95th-minute winner to sink the opposition. It was a deserved win for Carlo Ancelotti‘s side, who dominated throughout, and all it needed was that one moment.

Norway also left it late to secure their place in the round of 16, with Erling Haaland scoring in the 86th minute against Ivory Coast.

This isn’t the first time these two sides have gone head-to-head at a World Cup, having faced each other back in 1998.

*Norway beat Brazil in the Group Stage at France ’98*

Team news

Brazilian winger Raphinha is unlikely to return for his country in this one as he continues his recovery from a muscle injury. There’s a chance he’s available if Brazil make it to the next round, but he’s yet to resume full training.

Lucas Paquetá could miss out after an injury against Japan, but it’s unconfirmed whether he’ll be unavailable.

Norway could have a fully fit squad to face Brazil in this game. Julian Ryerson is targeting a return after he was forced off against Senegal in the second group stage game.

Brazil creating chances freely

Brazil have been the best side at the tournament when it comes to creating chances. Ancelotti’s side have created 9.4 expected goals during the World Cup, scoring nine times. France are just behind in terms of expected goals, but they have found the back of the net on four more occasions.

Brazil have Paquetá to thank when it comes to chance creation, so it will be a huge blow if he’s unavailable to face Norway this weekend. The 28-year-old has created nine chances at the tournament and averages 0.34 expected assists per 90 minutes.

Norway overly reliant on one star

The problem Norway do have is they are overly reliant on one player at the moment, and it won’t be difficult to guess who that is. Star striker Haaland has scored five goals at the tournament so far, and their next top goal scorer has only found the back of the net on one occasion.

If Brazil are able to shut down the Manchester City striker, it could be difficult for them to secure a victory. Haaland will be going up against one of his nemeses from the Premier League, and it looks set to be an interesting match-up.

Gabriel vs. Haaland

In the Premier League, we’ve seen some fascinating encounters between Gabriel and Haaland when playing for Arsenal and Manchester City.

The duo are often involved in feisty battles on the pitch, and neutrals will be hoping to see the same again on the biggest stage.

Gabriel has the bragging rights heading into this one after they lifted the Premier League title, and Haaland will likely be seeking revenge.

Prediction

We’re going for a 2-1 victory for Brazil in this one, as they’ll have too much firepower for Norway.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2026

Preview: Star-studded France take on surprise package Paraguay

Can Paraguay stop France’s all-out attack and continue their journey at the 2026 World Cup?

By Filip Mishov

Paraguay searching for a maiden win against France in Philadelphia

Paraguay plunged Germany into a crisis when José Canale’s decisive penalty sent his side in to the Round of 16 for the first time since the 2010 World Cup, and now, the goal of Gustavo Alfaro’s squad is to replicate the national team’s biggest success, when they reached the quarter-finals that year in South Africa. The White and Red are not producing the most eye-catching performances, especially in attack, but their defensive resilience is on par with the best at the tournament, and only Spain and Mexico (both 3) kept more clean sheets than the Paraguayans (2) in the group phase, while no team is averaging more tackles made per match (25.8).

In contrast, France are displaying a free-flowing, almost EA Sports FC-like attacking style of football, and Kylian Mbappé & co. cruised past Sweden with ease in the Round of 32 to further establish themselves as the leading favourites for the tournament. Les Bleus lead the way in terms of goals per match (3.3), shots on target (8.5) per match and are averaging a FotMob rating of 7.59, making them an absolute menace for the opponents. Also, the French are undefeated in five (3W, 2D) meetings against Paraguay in their history, a run that includes a couple of wins from the 1958 and 1998 World Cups, with Didier Deschamps being part of the squad which celebrated on the latter occasion at the same knockout stage of the tournament.

Key players

Gustavo Gómez is Paraguay’s undisputed leader on the pitch, and the experienced centre-back is averaging 6.7 clearances per 90 and is one of the few players in the squad who has played each and every minute of the tournament. The 33-year-old kept Germany’s forwards at bay for most of their last game, making 10 defensive contributions, and even though France’s attack will be much more difficult to contain, the captain will have to play a big part.

Michael Olise is thriving in the No. 10 role behind Kylian Mbappé and the flamboyant Frenchman is close to tying Pelé’s all-time assist record (6) from the 1970 World Cup after proving a couple of assists against Sweden. The 24-year-old is averaging a FotMob rating of 8.31 and no player has created more big chances at the tournament (five) while if it was not for the hot Golden Boot race, the Bayern Munich forward would have featured more prominently in the conversation for the Golden Ball award.

*French goal contributions at this World Cup*

Team news

Marcus Thuram missed the matches against Norway and Sweden, respectively, as the centre-forward is struggling with a calf injury and remains doubtful, although Didier Deschamps boasts plenty of other attacking options.

Omar Alderete suffered a muscle injury and Sunderland’s centre-back is still absent from first-team training after missing the match against Germany in the Round of 32, with the centre-back’s availability questionable to say the least

Prediction

With Paraguay maintaining just 31.2% of possession or the second lowest out of the 48 national teams featuring at the tournament, France will enjoy plenty of time on the ball, and I expect the favourites to find a way to unlock the Paraguayan defence one way or another to secure their place in the quarterfinals.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2026

Preview: Canada kick off the Round of 16 against Morocco

Co-hosts Canada face their biggest test of the 2026 World Cup so far against a formidable Moroccan side.

By Graham Ruthven

Home advantage (?)

Canada have played their part as co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, making the knockout rounds for the first time in their history. Unlike Mexico and the USA, though, Canada’s home advantage isn’t really a home advantage at all.

After seeing off South Africa in Los Angeles, Jesse Marsch’s team are now in Houston to take on Morocco in what will be their biggest test of the tournament so far. Canada might have to produce their best-ever performance to get past the 2022 semi-finalists.

Morocco have looked strong at the 2026 World Cup so far. The Atlas Lions saw off Netherlands in a Round of 32 penalty shootout and will be favourites to progress past Canada into the quarter-finals.

This could be a cagey affair with both teams at their best in quick transition. Morocco will likely control the majority of possession and will be able to call upon their experience of their deep run at the 2022 World Cup.

Key players

Nobody has scored more goals for Canada at this World Cup than Jonathan David who is expected to lead the line once more against Morocco. The Juventus forward’s link-up play is valuable, but Canada will need his finishing instincts more than anything else.

All three of Canada’s forward options have delivered at various points of the World Cup with Promise David and Cyle Larin both capable of finding the back of the net. Meanwhile, Tajon Buchanan will be a threat on the wing.

The game could come too early for Alphonso Davies who made his much-anticipated return from injury in the win over South Africa. The Bayern Munich left back may be limited to another cameo off the bench.

Achraf Hakimi is widely seen as the best right back in the world and is so important to Morocco’s attack, creating more chances than any player for the Atlas Lions at this World Cup. His direct running is almost impossible to stop.

Morocco will lean on Ayyoub Bouaddi to control possession in the centre of the pitch. The Lille teenager has been one of the breakout stars of this World Cup and offers so much on both sides of the ball.

Brahim Díaz could be a useful tool for Morocco to break down Canada’s defence while Yassine Bono will be the Atlas Lions’ final line of defence at the other end of the pitch. Morocco boast quality all over the field.

Team news

Davies’ fitness is Canada’s primary concern ahead of Saturday’s match in Houston. The Bayern Munich left back still looks to be lacking sharpness, but could Marsch gamble by playing him from the start?

Ismaël Koné is out with a serious injury sustained in the group stage while Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli are Morocco’s only concerns. Otherwise, Mohamed Ouahbi will have a fully fit and available squad to choose from.

Prediction

After a very encouraging World Cup showing, both on home soil, and in the United States, this could prove a step too far for Canada, but should give them cause for optimism: Canada 1-2 Morocco.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2026

Preview: World Champions Argentina clash with Cape Verde, the fairytail story of the 2026 finals

Argentina were expected to reach the knockout stages with relative ease. Cape Verde, on the other hand, are the biggest surprise package of the tournament and reached this round thanks to three draws in Group H.

By Ross Kilvington

Argentina poised for more World Cup glory

Lionel Scaloni’s side were one of only three teams to emerge from the group stages with a 100% record, alongside Mexico and France.

Eight goals scored, one conceded, and three solid performances have many believing Argentina can become just the third nation to win back-to-back World Cups.

Lionel Messi has scored six of those eight goals and the Inter Miami star looks hungry for yet more success at the World Cup. He became the first player to score in seven consecutive matches at the tournament following his free-kick against Jordan.

The World Cup Golden Boot has so far eluded Messi. Should he maintain this sort of goalscoring form, though, that could well change in the coming weeks.

The route to the semi-finals has certainly opened up for La Albiceleste. Victory over Cape Verde sets up a clash against either Australia or Egypt in the last 16. Win that, and it is likely Colombia stand in their way of a third World Cup semi-final in the previous four tournaments.

Tournament Favourites France and Spain are in the other half of the draw, thus Argentina cannot meet either of them until the final. Surely that is enough incentive for Messi and Co to progress seamlessly through the bracket.

Cape Verde have been the biggest surprise package this summer

The Island nation, which lies off the coast of Africa, has already made history by becoming the smallest country to ever reach the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Goalkeeper Vozinha has arguably been the cult breakout star of the finals. After his heroics against Spain, the veteran saw his Instagram follower count rise from 31,000 to nearly 17m. That even surpassed the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for percentage increase during the tournament.

Having conceded just twice across their three group games, however, Cape Verde demonstrated plenty of fight in reaching the knockout phase.

Bubista’s men have absolutely nothing to lose, which could make the nation a dangerous opponent to break down. Argentina will have avoid complacency.

Team news

Scaloni has no fresh injury concerns ahead of this clash. Messi did start the final group game on the bench, but enjoyed a late cameo, scoring his sixth goal of the tournament in the process.

For Cape Verde, Telmo Arcanjo is out of the clash against the world champions due to a hamstring injury. Aside from that, Bubista has no other injury concerns.

Prediction

Argentina have played some wonderful football so far, making light work of Algeria, Austria and Jordan. Cape Verde, though, are riding the crest of a wave right now and this could perhaps give the nation a massive boost heading into the clash.

President José Maria Neves certainly believes his country can prevail, saying: “I think Cape Verde can beat Argentina 1-0,” when speaking to the BBC.

Unfortunately, their journey will end at the hands of the defending world champions, who should win comfortably in Miami.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2026

Preview: Outsiders Australia and Egypt meet in the Round of 32

AFC representatives Australia face off against record AFCON winners Egypt in the World Cup Round of 32 in Dallas, as the latter look to continue making history.

By Matt Smith

Egypt recorded their first-ever World Cup victory in the group stages after beating New Zealand 3-1. Australia will be hoping to win a World Cup knockout game for the first time, so this is a huge encounter for both sides.

They last went head-to-head back in November 2010, with Egypt emerging victorious with a 3-0 win.

Team news

Australia will be out without both Jacob Italiano and Mathew Leckie for their last 32 clash with Egypt, but they shouldn’t have any fresh injury concerns. Manager Tony Popovic could name an unchanged side from their last game against Paraguay.

The big bit of team news heading into this game is that Egypt’s superstar Mohamed Salah is a doubt. They are hopeful that he’ll be able to overcome a hamstring injury, but there are certainly no guarantees.

Australia have struggled going forward

So far in the World Cup, Australia have scored just twice, with both of their goals coming against Turkey. They’ve created just one big chance throughout the whole tournament, the joint lowest in the competition.

Australia managed to emerge through the group stage in second place, with their victory over Türkiye proving crucial. Their first-ever knock out victory will see them face either Argentina or Cape Verde. It’s set to be a huge occasion for the Socceroos.

Egypt must tighten up defensively

Although Egypt’s defensive record doesn’t look too bad, considering they’ve conceded just 3 goals in 3 games, there’s no doubt they need to tighten up at the back. They’ve conceded 4.6 xG throughout the tournament, suggesting that they’ve been fortunate not to have conceded more goals.

Thankfully for them, Australia have struggled in terms of creating chances, so it’s not a game that screams goal fest. Egypt will look to hold firm defensively while trying to create chances for Salah if he’s available.

Egypt fans praying for Salah

It’s difficult to see Egypt making it into the next round if former Liverpool forward Salah is unavailable for this one. Although the 34-year-old hasn’t lit up the World Cup like we’ve seen him do in domestic football, he’s certainly been a key player for the Egyptians.

Salah has provided three goals and assists in three games so far, playing a crucial role in particular against New Zealand in their important victory. Egyptian fans around the world will be praying that Salah is available to face Australia. With 61 goals in 87 appearances, he is their superstar.

Prediction

As mentioned, it’s difficult to see this game having too many goals. A lot could depend on the fitness of Salah, but if the experienced forward is fit, we’re going for a 1-0 victory to Egypt.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2026

Preview: Heavyweights clash as Ronaldo’s Portugal face Modrić’s Croatia in Round of 32

Can Cristiano Ronaldo finally score a World Cup knockout goal or will Luka Modrić continue Croatia’s giant-killing streak?

By Filip Mishov

One legend destined for a bitter farewell

Portugal’s underwhelming showing in the group stage heaped the pressure on Roberto Martínez‘s squad to deliver in the knockouts, as the Seleção only managed to defeat the 60th-ranked Uzbekistan in Froup K, while stumbling to a draw against both DR Congo and Colombia.

Since Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut at the World Cup 2006, the Portuguese have reached the Round of 16 in four of the consequent five editions of the tournament, and failure to progress here would most probably signal a sour end to their greatest-ever player’s World Cup career.

The bronze medallists from the 2022 finals finished a point off England in the Group L table, and even though Croatia were far from flashy, Zlatko Dalić‘s squad got the job done by winning back-to-back matches against Panama and Ghana.

Now, Croatia’s goal is to continue their well-established trend of eliminating the big favourites in the knockout stag of a major tournament, something which led them to winning successive medals in 2018 and 2022.

However, the resilient Croats are winless against Portugal in competitive competitive and their sole victory came back in a friendly in 2024 with Ante Budimir scoring the winner in Lisbon.

Key players

Despite scoring a brace against the debutants Uzbekistan and shouting “I’m back!” to the cameras afterwards, Ronaldo (231 caps) is yet to reaffirm his difference-making ability in North America. If Portugal are to go far in the tournament, then the 41-year-old must raise his performance levels (averaging a FotMob rating of 7.3) and could go some way to doing that by scoring his first-ever World Cup knockout stage goal in this one.

His teammates are going to give him the opportunities to do so, with only Senegal (28.3) and Panama (28) completing more accurate long balls (27.7) per match than Portugal so far at the tournament.

*Ronaldo vs. Modrić top stats at the World Cup*

Luka Modrić displayed was not his usual self against England in Croatia’s opener, but the 40-year-old improved in the consequent matches and even provided a match-winning assist against Ghana, earning him the Player of the Match award with a FotMob rating of 8.1.

As captain, Modrić reached 200 appearance for his country during the Group Stage, and Friday’s clash will be truly a unique one with the two former Real Madrid teammates being two of the only four players alongside Lionel Messi (202) and Bader Al-Mutawa (202) with more than 200 caps for their national teams.

Team news

Roberto Martínez has a fullly fit squad at his disposal, but the ultimate question is whether Bernardo Silva will get the nod to return in the starting lineup over Rafael Leão or Joao Félix.

Zlatko Dalić is facing a similar dilemma, with Ante Budimir being the starting striker in the last match, when it was Petar Musa who impressed in Croatia’s first two games.

Prediction

On paper, Portugal must be considered as favourites going into the match given the bags of experience and talent within Roberto Martínez’s squad, but Cristiano Ronaldo & co. have been far from impressive so far, and Croatia are well known for upping their performances when it comes to knockout football.

I expect a dramatic and close match, potentially going to extra time and even to penalties, with either Dominik Livakovic or Diogo Costa deciding the final outcome.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jul

2026

Preview: Spain meet Austria in Round of 32

Spain finished the group stage with back-to-back wins after failing to score against Cape Verde in their opener.

By Ross Kilvington

Spain topping Group H has set up a meeting with Austria, who finished second in Group J on goal difference. It’s the winners of Euro 2024 against potential tournament dark horses. Who progresses?

Spain building momentum nicely

Spain registered 27 shots, took 51 touches in the opposition penalty area and won 11 corners, yet still couldn’t find the back of the net against World Cup debutants Cape Verde.

The same mistakes were not repeated against Saudi Arabia a few days later as the Spaniards sealed an imperious 4-0 win. Uruguay were then sent packing courtesy of a narrow 1-0 victory to round off the group stages.

Luis De La Fuente’s men didn’t concede a single goal across their three matches and La Roja restricted their opponents to just three shots on target during that period.

Remarkably, though, Spain have not won a World Cup knockout tie since their triumph in the 2010 final. De La Fuente will be hoping to change that in California.

Austria could spring a surprise

Ralf Rangnick has led Austria to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time since 1982, but can they progress even further?

A late equaliser against Algeria set up this clash with the European champions, but if they can channel the sort of performances that were on show when they topped their at that tournament, Rangnick’s men have a chance.

The Austrians scored three goals against both Jordan and Algeria, yet couldn’t break through a resolute Argentinian defence. This will be the challenge against the Spaniards, who will be determined to keep a fourth consecutive clean sheet.

Austria have defeated the Netherlands, Norway, Ghana and South Korea over the previous two years. A win against Spain, however, would be their biggest achievement, no doubt about that.

Key players

Lamine Yamal was restricted to a cameo appearance in the opening game against Cape Verde, but the teenager did socre his first World Cup goal against Saudi Arabia.

He failed to register a shot on target against Uruguay, yet De La Fuente will be hoping Yamal can provide the cutting edge for Spain against Austria.

Marcel Sabitzer has started all three games for Austria so far, getting on the scoresheet against Algeria in that enthralling 3-3 draw.

Marko Arnautović might be the main goal threat for Rangnick, yet Sabitzer makes things tick and he could be vital in this round of 32 matchup.

Team news

Spain will be without the services of both Nico Williams and Yéremy Pino for this clash, as the duo are injured.

Rangnick has a couple of players that are doubts for the match. David Alaba came off during the second half against Algeria, but it looks like he could be fit and ready to go.

Arnautović, however is a doubt for this knockout stage clash and Rangnick will be sweating on a late fitness test for Austria’s all-time top scorer.

Prediction

Spain would have hoped for an easier tie to begin the knockout stage, but confidence has been building since the 0-0 draw with Cape Verde.

Austria were a mixed bag during the group stage, but if Rangnick can get them performing to their best, we could see a tight affair play out in LA: Spain 2 – 0 Austria.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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