Thursday’s World Cup round of 32 will see Spain, Portugal and Switzerland play finals across North America, marking another busy schedule.
Alongside the games, the tournament continues to deliver big storylines, including surprise results and late returns, fan celebrations, controversies and off-field headlines.
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Here’s what we know:
What is the schedule for Thursday’s game?
Spain vs. Austria (noon/7pm GMT) at Los Angeles Stadium. Portugal vs. Croatia (7pm/11pm GMT) at Toronto Stadium, Ontario, Canada. Switzerland vs. Algeria (Friday 8pm/3pm ET) at BC Place Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
What are your predictions for Spain vs. Austria?
Spain and Austria have never played each other regularly, but in recent history Spain has been the clear favorite. La Roja remain unbeaten in their last five meetings with Austria, with the last two ending in emphatic four-goal wins.
Spain will enter this match as the favorite to secure a spot in the last 16. Luis de la Fuente’s side won 70.6 per cent of 25,000 pre-match simulations over 90 minutes, according to the Opta supercomputer.
That said, the round of 32 has already created enough surprises to serve as a warning. Austria had a 12.2% chance of winning within 90 minutes, but the remaining 17.3% of the simulations resulted in a draw.
The supercomputer gives Spain a 79.5 percent chance of making it to the last 16, taking extra time and penalties into account, and gives Austria a 20.5 percent chance of pulling off an upset.
What are your predictions for Portugal vs Croatia?
Portugal has dominated this game for many years. They lost only one of their 10 official games against Croatia, remaining undefeated in six games and drawing with five wins and one loss.
Portugal enters this contest as the favorite to win. The Opta supercomputer showed, through 25,000 pre-match simulations, that Portugal had a 54.5% chance of winning within 90 minutes.
Croatia’s chance of victory was rated at 20.4%, while 25.1% of simulations ended beyond normal time, with extra time and potential penalties.
What are your predictions for Switzerland vs. Algeria?
Switzerland and Algeria have previously met twice in friendlies, but this will be the first time they will meet in an official match.
On both occasions Switzerland came out on top, winning 2-1 in 1983 and 2-0 three years later.
Switzerland go into this match as clear favorites to advance. The Opta supercomputer ran 25,000 simulations before the match and determined that there was a 49.5% chance of winning within 90 minutes.
Algeria, on the other hand, were assigned a 23.9% chance of winning under normal conditions, but the simulation gave them a 26.6% chance of a draw and sending the game to extra time and penalties.
Which teams made it to the Round of 16 and which teams were eliminated?
Three of the six days of the Round of 32 have concluded and seven teams have already qualified for the Round of 16.
Canada (beat South Africa 1-0) Brazil (beat Japan 2-1) Paraguay (beat Germany after a 1-1 draw on penalties) Morocco (beat Netherlands on penalties after a 1-1 draw) Norway (beat Cote d’Ivoire 2-1) France (beat Sweden 3-0) Mexico (beat Ecuador 2-0) England (beat Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1) USA (defeated against Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0)
Teams eliminated so far:
South Africa Japan Germany Netherlands Ivory Coast Sweden Ecuador Democratic Republic of Congo Bosnia and Herzegovina
What else is going on?
Harry Kane’s game-winning two goals
Kane scored a dramatic second-half double as England secured a place in the last 16 with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in Atlanta.
Thomas Tuchel’s side, aiming for their first major tournament title in 60 years, were on the brink of a major upset after Brian Shipenga put the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead in the early stages.
However, England avoided a shocking red card thanks to the captain’s decisive intervention, with Kane scoring twice in the closing stages to turn the game around and book their place into the next round.
Social media quickly erupted in celebration of Kane’s match-winning performance.
“Wonder Wall” sung by fans
Supporter chants have become one of the defining elements of football culture at this World Cup, proving once again that fans are just as influential as the action on the pitch.
From Norwegian rowing-style chants to American supporters chanting “Country Roads, Take Me Home,” the postgame celebration takes on its own musical identity.
England players and fans celebrated their dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo by singing together the well-known song ‘Wonderwall’ by Britpop band Oasis after the final whistle.
Iran national soccer team welcomes return to Japan after being eliminated from the World Cup
Iran’s soccer team returned to Tehran after exiting the World Cup and was warmly welcomed by hundreds of fans.
“Their performance was really great,” Tehran resident Zahra Hosseini told Al Jazeera.
“They played really well in their opponent’s country, so I’m here to tell them that each and every one of them was great.”
“They put our country’s flag up in a place that never wanted anything good for us,” she added.
Ronaldo arrives in Toronto
Cristiano Ronaldo caused a lot of excitement in Toronto after the Portuguese squad arrived ahead of their World Cup match against Croatia.
On Wednesday, hundreds of fans lined highways and packed downtown streets, climbing to vantage points and leaning out from tall buildings, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Portugal captain as his team moved through the city.
Ronaldo was last in Toronto in 2009, when he played in a pre-season friendly against Toronto FC against Real Madrid, which was played at the same stadium that will host Thursday’s final.
The public holiday added to the atmosphere, with even more crowds flocking to the city in anticipation of what could be Ronaldo’s final World Cup appearance.
Portugal vs Croatia ticket prices soar
Ticket prices for Portugal’s last-32 World Cup match between Portugal and Croatia in Toronto have soared on resale platforms, with the average price of the cheapest ticket exceeding $3,000 on Saturday, according to TicketData price tracking data.
4 people killed in Mexico City during World Cup celebrations
Mexican authorities say four people died during celebrations in Mexico City after Mexico defeated Ecuador to advance to the last 16 of the World Cup.
Three victims were found unconscious near the Angel of Independence Monument, where thousands of people had gathered to celebrate, while a fourth man suffered an emergency and later died in hospital.
Officials said emergency services responded quickly but were unable to save those involved. The cause of death is under investigation.
Controversy surrounding penalty acquisition against Senegal
Senegal coach Pape Thiau called football a “cruel game” after his side suffered a dramatic late defeat against Belgium in the World Cup round of 32.
Senegal led 2-0 in the 85th minute, but Belgium scored two goals in the closing stages, and after a VAR review in extra time, Youri Tielemans converted a penalty and won 3-2.
Thiau claimed that the team felt the penalty call was harsh, saying the team believed “there was no penalty” and that it would have changed the outcome of the match.
Defender Crepin Diatta added that Senegal “lost concentration” in the final stages, admitting his team was not up to the task despite a strong performance.
Belgium advances to the last 16 and will face the United States on Monday, July 6th.
