The World Cup knockout stage is finally ready to begin after 72 group matches trimmed the expanded 48-team field down to 32.
Pre-tournament favourites Argentina, France, Spain and England all progressed, but there was also room for a few surprise stories.
Cape Verde reached the knockout stage in their first-ever World Cup after drawing all three group matches. DR Congo also made history by reaching the last 32 for the first time, more than 50 years after their only previous appearance at the finals as Zaire.
Argentina will face Cape Verde on Friday, while DR Congo take on England on Wednesday.
African nations enjoyed one of their strongest World Cup campaigns, as nine of the continent's 10 teams reached the knockout stage.
Europe has 13 teams left in the tournament, South America has five, while Asia is represented by two. Co-hosts Mexico, the United States and Canada are the only North American sides still standing.
Uruguay were the highest-ranked team to miss out after failing to progress from the group stage.
Iran also suffered late heartbreak. Team Melli were seconds away from qualification before Austria's stoppage-time equaliser against Algeria pushed the North Africans into the final qualifying third-place spot.
Only Argentina, France and Mexico won all three of their group matches.
One of the standout last-32 matches sees the Netherlands face Morocco on Monday. The Dutch scored 10 goals during the group stage, while Morocco continued the impressive form that took them to the World Cup semi-finals four years ago.
The race for the Golden Boot is also heating up. Lionel Messi leads the standings on six goals, ahead of Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Erling Haaland, who have all scored four.
England captain Harry Kane is among a group of 10 players on three goals.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source wh...
Central Asia’s economy has surpassed $543 billion, driven by Kazakhstan’s economic weight, strong exports and foreign investment, while growing tr...
The United Nations refugee agency is planning a settlement and carpet-weaving workshop for Afghan returnees in Kabul as the country grapples with larg...
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
Ukraine has agreed to refrain from targeting certain tankers using Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk following a request from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, the Financial Times reported, although Kyiv has continued strikes on Russian targets at the port.
Taiwan has criticised a planned joint naval exercise involving China and Indonesia near its eastern waters, describing it as a politically charged move designed to strengthen Beijing's claims over areas surrounding the island.
An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk killed an eight-year-old child, injured others and damaged residential buildings, port infrastructure and grain facilities, Russian officials and industry sources said on Wednesday.
Romanian military divers have destroyed two Gerbera-type drones found drifting near the Neptun Deep offshore gas development in the country’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment