After 72 games were played to eliminate just 12 of the 48 teams at the largest-ever World Cup, the knockout phase is finally set to begin.
All of the pre-tournament favorites (France, Spain, England, Argentina) made it through, and a few surprise sides are through, too.
Cape Verde, in their first-ever World Cup appearance, drew all three of their group-stage matches to advance. The Democratic Republic of the Congo got out of the group stage for the first time in their second World Cup. The other time the Leopards were in the event, they were playing as Zaire in 1974.
Cape Verde’s reward is a round of 32 matchup with the defending champions, Argentina, on Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla. DR Congo will square off with England on Wednesday in Atlanta.
The strong showing by Cape Verde, the third-smallest country ever to compete at the World Cup, is part of a larger success story for African nations. Nine of the continent’s 10 representatives advanced to the knockout stage.
The round of 32 will include 13 teams from Europe, five from South America and two from Asia. The only three North American teams moving on are the co-hosts: Mexico, the United States and Canada.
The most notable team that failed to advance was Uruguay, who were No. 16 in the FIFA rankings entering the tournament.
No. 20 Iran drew all three of their group matches and were seconds away from qualifying for the round of 32 before Austria scored a last-minute equalizer against Algeria on Saturday. That tally dropped Algeria into the eighth and final qualifying third-place slot and eliminated Team Melli.
Only three sides won all three of their group-stage matches: Argentina, France and Mexico.
The most eye-catching round of 32 match might be the Netherlands vs. Morocco on Monday in Guadalupe, Mexico. The Dutch scored 10 goals while finishing 2-0-1 in Group F, drawing with Japan before beating Sweden and Tunisia. The Atlas Lions, who reached the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup, went 2-0-1 in Group C, playing to a tie with Brazil and then downing Scotland and Haiti.
The tournament also features an intriguing race for the Golden Boot. The World Cup’s all-time leading goal-scorer, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, leads the pack this year with six through the group stage. Giving chase are four of the world’s best attacking players, each with four goals: France’s Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe, Brazil’s Vinicius Junior and Norway’s Erling Haaland.
Ten players, including England’s Harry Kane, have three goals apiece.
The round of 32 schedule:
Sunday –South Africa vs. Canada in Inglewood, Calif.
Monday –Brazil vs. Japan in Houston –Germany vs. Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass. –Netherlands vs. Morocco in Guadalupe, Mexico
Tuesday –Ivory Coast vs. Norway in Arlington, Texas –France vs. Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J. –Mexico vs. Ecuador in Mexico City
Wednesday –England vs. DR Congo in Atlanta –Belgium vs. Senegal in Seattle –United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, Calif.
Thursday –Spain vs. Austria in Inglewood, Calif. –Portugal vs. Croatia in Toronto –Switzerland vs. Algeria in Vancouver
Friday –Australia vs. Egypt in Arlington, Texas –Argentina vs. Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla. –Colombia vs. Ghana in Kansas City, Mo.
The round of 16 runs July 4-7, with the quarterfinals scheduled for July 9-11. The first semifinal is scheduled for July 14 in Arlington with the second to be played the following day in Atlanta.
The third-place match will be held in Miami Gardens on July 18 ahead of the final on July 19 in East Rutherford.
