The World Cup round of 16 action continues on Monday with two heavyweight bouts as Portugal renews their rivalry with Spain before the United States takes on Belgium for a place in the quarter-finals.
Ahead of the match, supercomputer Opta revealed its latest predictions, while Sunday’s results showed England survived a thriller against Mexico, Norway stunned Brazil to end Neymar’s international career and FIFA was embroiled in controversy after allowing Folarin Balogun to face Belgium despite his red card.
What’s the schedule for Monday?
- Portugal vs Spain: Monday, Dallas Stadium, 19:00 GMT.
- USA vs Belgium: Monday, Seattle Stadium, 00:00 GMT, moving into Tuesday.
What are the predictions for the match Portugal – Spain?
Portugal and Spain share a bitter rivalry at the main stage, with their previous five meetings having produced just one win and three draws.
Two of these competitions were especially memorable. Their 2018 World Cup group stage clash ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a stunning hat-trick and the Euro 2012 semi-final finishing 0-0 before Spain took the lead via penalties.
The Opta supercomputer makes Spain favorites in the knockout match, with Luis de la Fuente’s side winning in normal time in 49.2 per cent of 25,000 pre-match simulations.
Portugal have a 25.6 percent chance of winning within 90 minutes, while the remaining 25.2 percent of simulations end after regulation time, meaning a tie would require extra time and possibly penalties to determine a winner.
What are the predictions for the USA – Belgium match?
Beginning its head-to-head history with a 3-0 win over Belgium at the 1930 World Cup, the United States has struggled in the match ever since. The Americans have lost each of their last six meetings, conceding an average of 2.5 goals per match.
The most recent meeting took place in a friendly in March, when Belgium won a convincing 5-2 victory on US soil.
According to Opta’s 25,000 pre-match simulations, the US has a 37.2% chance of winning in regulation time. Belgium are only slightly behind with a 36.5 percent chance of winning, while the chance of the match remaining tied after 90 minutes and being decided in extra time or a penalty shootout is 26.3 percent.
Remaining Round of 16 schedule:
- Portugal vs Spain: Monday, Dallas Stadium, 19:00 GMT.
- USA vs Belgium: Monday, Seattle Stadium, 00:00 GMT, moving into Tuesday.
- Argentina vs Egypt: Tuesday, Atlanta Stadium, 16:00 GMT.
- Switzerland vs Colombia: Tuesday, British Columbia, Vancouver, 20:00 GMT.
Here are the four teams that have booked their place in the quarter-finals:
- Morocco vs France
- Norway vs England
What else is going on?
England win dramatic match against Mexico
England’s 10-man squad weathered the storm in Mexico at the Estadio Azteca to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the third time in a row with a stunning 3-2 win over their hosts on Sunday thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham and a penalty from Harry Kane.
Thomas Tuchel’s side made things difficult against the hosts but handed the struggling Mexicans their first ever World Cup defeat at the iconic stadium and set up an eighth-final meeting with Norway, who shocked Brazil 2-1 earlier on Sunday.
“It was a crazy game,” Kane said. “We had to fight. We had to find something. I can’t really speak. Yes, chance, team, everything is against us. We found a way.”
Historical take of Jude Bellingham’s “Azteca”
Jude Bellingham described England’s dramatic victory over Mexico as the proudest moment of his international career and joked that home fans should tell their employers and teachers they will take a day off to celebrate.
The star midfielder scored twice in the Three Lions’ thrilling 3-2 win at Estadio Azteca on Sunday, capping a memorable performance for Tuchel’s side.
Neymar’s World Cup dream is over
Oft-injured star Neymar says he is done playing for Brazil, making the announcement after he and his teammates crashed out of the World Cup with a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the round of 16.
“I tried,” Neymar said after the match on Sunday. “It all started here at MetLife Stadium and I ended here. It’s over now.”
Neymar, 34, played his first game for Brazil on August 10, 2010, a friendly against the United States at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
He ends his playing career as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer.
Erling Haaland leads the Viking Row team in Norway
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland inspired Norway to a famous victory at the Meadowlands, denying Brazil a chance to win a record sixth World Cup.
The 25-year-old struck twice after the break, opening the scoring with a powerful header after beating Gabriel Magalhães before adding a second goal with a low strike that eluded Alisson Becker to put Norway firmly in control at 2-0.
After the final whistle, Haaland led Norway’s now famous “Viking Row” celebration, which quickly gained popularity on social media after it went viral during the tournament.
The President is lobbying FIFA for a red card
The United States’ World Cup campaign was thrust into the spotlight on Sunday after FIFA took the highly unusual step of suspending the automatic one-match ban on its player Folarin Balogun, clearing him for Monday’s round of 16 clash with Belgium.
The decision came after US President Donald Trump reportedly contacted FIFA chief Gianni Infantino asking him to reconsider the incident, according to a source familiar with the conversation.
The intervention immediately caused controversy, drawing criticism from Belgium and shifting attention from the match itself to questions about FIFA’s disciplinary process and the influence of political figures.
This decision quickly became one of the most discussed topics of the tournament.